Lost Without You
by xlovemexhatemex
Summary: When Zuko chooses to side with the avatar, he believes it will bring an end to his inner battle. But when it doesn't, he is left feeling alone, confused, and lost. Zuko x OC. RATED T JUST TO BE SAFE.
1. Introduction

**Okay. So, obviously Zuko is my favorite character, and I'm a Zutara fan, but I always find it kind of hard to write Zutara fics. I like to mess around with personality parings, and it's hard to do so when Katara's personality is pretty much set in stone. So yeah, that's why I like using original characters. Just a little explanation. :]**

**So with that little rant out of the way, I now give you my new fic. It starts out at the Western Air Temple, after Zuko had been "accepted" into the group. So I'm pretty much going to re-write the rest of the series.**

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Everyone sits around the fire, stuffing their faces with food and talking amongst themselves. That is, _almost_ everyone. A lone figure sits against a far wall, watching the fire with a distant stare. The shadows conceal half of his face, but the half that is within the reaches of the flickering light cast from the fire is wrinkled and scarred.

This boy, this tormented, conflicted soul looks up at the moon with his honey colored eyes and sighs. He's on the good side now; he should feel fulfilled. But something tugs at him, something deep within him aches, and it's driving him mad.

"Here, I thought you might like something to eat."

The boy turns his head and looks up at the avatar, the very person he wasted three years of his life chasing down with malicious intent.

"Thanks." He says, taking the plate of fish.

The avatar smiles before heading back to the fire. The boy watches him, and catches a glare from a certain water bender out of the corner of his eye. Sighing again, he sets the fish down on the ground, suddenly not hungry. After a few more minutes of watching the fire, the lonely feeling becomes too much and he stands up to leave.

"Where ya going, Sparky?" a female voice called from the fire. He stops, glancing over his shoulder.

"I'm taking a walk." And with that simple reply, he continues out into the night.

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**Okay, so this is a super short chapter, but it's sort of an introduction, and I didn't want it to drag on. And since it's short, I'm not really going to ask for reviews. But it would be nice if you did anyway. :]**


	2. Lucky

Zuko's POV

I walked aimlessly around the air temples, my mind wandering. If I was finally on the right side, why did I still feel so empty? I had seen the error of my ways, so what else did I have to do to fill this vast hole in my heart?

I kicked a pebble, watching as it fell over the edge of the temple. Curious, I stepped over to where it had disappeared and glanced down. The canyon floor was so far down it could not be seen. I shuddered at the thought of falling through the mist below into oblivion, and wondered how many mangled bodies could be found at the bottom.

My reverie was interrupted by the sound of crying coming from behind me. I whirled around, but no one was there. My mind jumped to a haunting, but I pushed the thought back. It was absurd. The crying continued, however, and I could not for the life of me find the source.

"Why?" A female voice called out into the darkness. "Why me?"

Instinctively, my arm reached back for my swords, but I had left them back at camp. I cursed under my breath and the crying stopped.

"Who's there?" The woman called out. I froze. Could she honestly have heard my muttered curse? "I heard you say something, now show yourself!"

Suddenly, there was the sound of breaking earth followed by a scream. With a sickening thud, a body landed a mere few yards away from me. I jumped, shocked by the sudden presence of another human being, but quickly ran over to whoever had fallen.

It was a young woman, most likely the one who had been crying. She had fallen on her side, and her right arm was twisted at an awkward angle. Gently, I picked her up in my arms. As I swiftly carried her back towards camp, I noticed the still fresh tears trailing down her cheeks were mixing with the blood oozing from a deep cut on her temple.

Finally, I made it back to the fire, out of breath and arms aching.

"Well look who's back from his little walk." Toph remarked, wiggling her toes. "Who's that in your arms?"

The rest of the group turned to look at me.

"I… I don't know her name. I think she fell from the cliff above the temples."

I laid her down gently as Katara ran over to me. She took the water out of her pouch and covered her hands with it. It glowed a bright blue as she first healed the gash on the girl's head, then began working on her arm.

"She's a very lucky girl." Katara stated, concentrating on her healing. "Bones are tricky, but she only has a small hairline fracture. With a bit of healing every day, she should have full use of it in about a week."

"Thanks Katara." I muttered, watching her hands move swiftly and surely over the girls body, inspecting for any other injuries.

"I'm not doing this for you." She spat, her eyes flashing with anger.

I blinked. "I know."

Katara finally finished up and put the water back in its pouch. Afterwards, she disappeared into her room for a moment. When she came back, she had a long piece of white fabric which she had tied in a loop. She placed it gently over the girl's head and rested her broken arm in it, creating a make-shift sling. "We should get her to one of the rooms." She said, admiring her work.

"There's one next to mine that's empty." I stated, picking up the girl once more. "I'll take her there and get her settled in."

I began walking deeper into the temple, cradling the girl in my arms. I could feel Katara's glare on the back of my head, but chose to ignore it. A few of the people sitting around the fire tried to get a better look at the girl, but other than that no one spoke to or looked at me.

Once I reached the empty room, I laid the girl down on the bed and covered her with a nearby blanket. It was only then that I took a good look at the girl. She was slender, yet curvy in just the right places. Her skin was somewhat pale, except for a reddish scar that wound like a snake from her wrist to halfway up her left forearm. A strand of soft, dark brown hair fell across her face. I impulsively brushed it out of the way, causing her to stir under my touch. I held my breath as her eyes fluttered open. Two tired, deep brown irises stared up at me in wonder and confusion.

"Where am I?" she whispered, not taking her eyes off me.

"You're in the Western Air Temples. You fell from the cliff above and… frankly, you're lucky to be alive." I said, sitting on the edge of her bed.

She tried to sit up as well, but winced as she did so and fell back against the sheets.

"I don't _feel_ lucky. I _feel_ like I've been trampled by a herd of saber-toothed moose lions."

I had to chuckle at that. "Yeah, sorry about that."

She looked up at me. "What the hell are you apologizing for? It's not like you pushed me off that cliff. I lost my footing." Rolling her eyes, she smacked her forehead with her good arm. "I can't believe I was so stupid as to stand so close to the edge."

I lifted her hand away from her face. "Anyone could make that mistake."

She shrugged. "Eh, I guess."

At that moment, we both realized I was still holding onto her scarred arm.

"Pretty disgusting, isn't it?" She said, staring at the scar.

I set her hand back down on the bed. "Not as much as this." I pointed to my face. "At least you can cover yours up. Mine? I have to wear my scar for all to see." Closing my eyes, I fought back the emotions that threatened to bubble to the surface as I thought of how I had received it.

I suddenly felt cold, gentle fingers glide over my eyelid and down my cheek. Opening my eyes, I saw the girl smile.

"Doesn't look that horrible to me." She let her hand fall and cocked her head. "In fact it's kind of endearing."

I smiled; she yawned.

"I better let you get some sleep." I said, standing and heading for the door.

"Wait." The girl called after me. I stopped. "Can I at least know your name?"

Turning around, I gazed at her softly. "Zuko."

"Hana."

I bowed. "Nice to meet you, Hana. Goodnight." And with that, I closed the door to her room before entering my own.

A faint smile played on my lips as I crawled under my covers and closed my eyes to fall asleep. That night was the first night in a long time where I was not plagued with nightmares.

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**Wow. That is one of the worst chapters I have ever written. I'm terribly sorry! I started this story right in the middle of a terrible case of writer's block, so I sort of had to push through this chapter and just keep writing, even when I didn't have any idea what I was doing. So some of the sentences and paragraphs are a bit chunky and awkward, and I apologize.**


	3. Rising With The Sun

Zuko's POV

I awoke a few minutes before the sun rose. Stretching, I relished in the feeling of a good night's sleep. I dressed before making my way outside to watch the sky change colors. With the temples being hidden down in the canyon, seeing the sun actually rise was nearly impossible. But I didn't mind. The ranging hues of reds, oranges, pinks, and purples were what really captivated me.

Just as I began to feel the warmth from the sun's rays on my skin, someone plopped down beside me on my right. I looked over in surprise and saw Hana staring up at the sky.

"You're up early." I said, staring at her shamelessly.

She glanced at me out of the corner of her eye. "So are you, Prince Zuko."

My eyes grew wide with surprise. "You know who I am?"

Hana laughed. "Of course! Look at me. What am I wearing?"

I let my eyes roam over her body. She was clothed in simple dark red pants ending in a pair of brown leather boots. Her short-sleeved gold-trimmed bright red tunic reached to a couple inches above her knees and was cinched around her waist with a gold fabric belt.

"You're fire nation." I whispered in awe. There was no reason for this to surprise me, but it did. "What are you doing all the way over here at the Western Air Temples?"

She gave a faint smile. "Running away."

"From what?" I asked, curious.

Her smile faltered noticeably. I apologized for intruding on her privacy and we went back to watching the sky in comfortable silence. Finally, I forced myself to break through the peace and quiet.

"Uh, how does your arm feel?"

Hana looked down at her arm resting in the sling and sighed. "It's alright I guess. I've been worse." She waved her scarred arm in front of us as an example before letting it fall back down onto her lap. "Besides, pain builds character."

"I guess so…" I muttered, subconsciously touching the left side of my face.

"Good morning, Sparky." Toph said from behind us. "You too, Tumbles."

Hana blinked. "'Tumbles'?" She asked, looking at me.

I shrugged. "She gives everyone nicknames."

"Yeah, and since you fell off the cliff, I decided to call you Tumbles. Now _deal with it_!"Toph cracked her back and stretched. "Well, I'm off to help Aang with his earth bending."

"But he's not up yet." I stated in a bored manner.

Toph stomped her foot. The sound of moving earth followed by a muffled yelp came from the direction of Aang's room. "He is now. Later!"

She ran off towards his room with a smirk. A few seconds later, I saw her dragging Aang off around the corner of the temple and out of sight. I had to chuckle.

"Who were those people?" Hana asked, staring at the spot where Toph and Aang had disappeared.

"The earth bender is Toph. The boy she was dragging behind her is the avatar, Aang."

Hana's eyes grew wide. "The _avatar_?" I nodded. "Wow. That's pretty cool."

Shrugging, I turned my attention back to the sky. "I guess."

Pause. "I thought you were hunting the avatar?" She blurted, causing me to look down at her. "I thought… I thought you _killed_ him."

I sighed. "No, that was all a lie. Well, the 'killing him' part. I _did _waste three years of my life chasing him down, though." Memories came flooding back to me and I shut my eyes tightly. "But that's all behind me now. I've changed. My uncle has showed me the error of my ways and helped me understand my past." When I opened my eyes, I could feel the fierceness in my gaze. "I've decided to help him take down Firelord Ozai. This war is wrong." Turning my eyes to her, I saw her staring up at me in admiration. "I spent so much time trying to get rid of the avatar. Now I'm trying to help him defeat my homeland. Everything's changing so quickly."

Hana placed a hand on my shoulder. "I know how you feel."

Her touch was warm and gentle, making me feel calm and safe. "How so?"

She drew her hand back and cast her eyes down. "I'd rather not talk about it."

My turn to place a hand on _her_ shoulder. "That's fine. But if you ever need to…" I let the sentence trail off, but by the way she looked up at me with her chocolate brown eyes I knew she understood.

"Oh good! You're up!"

We turned around to see Katara standing by the fountain with a warm smile on her face. Hana stood and walked over to her.

"My name's Hana." She said, giving the signature fire nation bow. Well, as best she could with her broken arm.

Katara shied away a bit at that, but recovered quickly before Hana straightened back up to her full height.

"I'm Katara, from the Southern Water Tribe." She said, scratching the back of her neck nervously.

"It's a pleasure to meet you." Hana said with a smile.

Katara shuffled her feet nervously. I watched with a smirk, trying not to laugh at her reaction.

"Sooo… fire nation?" She asked, placing her hands behind her back and rocking back and forth on the balls of her feet.

Hana laughed. _Hard_. "Oh, you have the wrong impression of me! I don't support the war. I'm for the avatar. The fire nation has done nothing good for me, and this war has created too much suffering for my like."

"Oh. I'm terribly sorry for the assumption! It's just-"

"I'm sure the fire nation has been nothing but trouble for you," Hana said, interrupting. "But I promise you, I'm not like them."

Katara nodded, but I could tell by the look in her eye that she wasn't completely convinced.

"Oh. Well, umm, if you don't mind coming over to the fountain, I can do a bit of work on your arm to help it heal faster." She said, gesturing over to the water fountain.

"What do you mean?"

"I'm a healer." Katara stated proudly.

"Wow. That's incredible." Hana stated.

"Thanks. So, if you could just sit on the edge of the fountain I'll get to work."

Hana glanced over her shoulder at me, a worried look plastered on her face. I stood up and walked over to her. Placing my hand on her shoulder again, I gave her a warm smile.

"It's okay. Katara's a master. She healed you when I first brought you back to camp."

She nodded, and followed Katara over to the fountain. I did so as well, and sat down next to her.

"Now this may hurt." Katara said, bending some water out of the fountain and covering her hands with it. "Actually, it most likely will, to be honest."

Hana nodded and looked away. The water glowed blue as Katara placed her hands on Hana's arm. Sucking in breath through her teeth, Hana closed her eyes in pain and grabbed my hand with her scarred one, squeezing tightly. I could almost feel her pain, like I was sharing the experience. Her pain was my pain, and it frightened me a bit.

After a few more moments, Katara was finished and let the water fall back into the fountain.

"Your arm seems to be healing quicker than I thought." She stated. "It should be good as new in about a day."

"Thanks." Hana said, letting go of my hand. I frowned slightly at the loss of contact.

Katara stood. "I think I'll start on breakfast. Zuko, could you help with the fire?" Her tone changed as she said my name. It was like she couldn't stand to say it, like it was poisonous.

"Sure." I walked over to the pile of wood and took a deep breath. With a punch of my wrist, I ignited the fire and stepped back.

"Thanks." She spat, pushing me out of the way to get the cooking pot ready.

With a sigh, I made my way back over to the fountain and sat down next to Hana.

"She doesn't like you, does she?" Hana whispered, watching Katara.

I shook my head. "No. She doesn't."

"Why not?"

"I honestly have no idea."

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**Wow. Okay. Still kind of pushing through my writer's block. This chapter was a bit better, but the ending was terrible. I'm sorry, my readers. :[ I promise it will get better.**

**Reviewers get a lovely virtual pie. :3**


	4. Left Alone

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN AVATAR. There.**

**No reviews on the past few chapters? :[ Well that makes me sad.**

**Hana: Don't be sad, Kira-chan! **_**I**_** love your story!**

**Yeah, you just like it because you get to- never mind. I can't let the readers know that quite yet…**

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Hana's POV, The Next Day

I gritted my teeth as Katara went to work on my arm once more. She spent less time on it this time, stating that it had almost completely heal.

"In fact," she said, bending the water back into her pouch, "you could probably take it out of the sling. You probably won't be able to feel much pain, unless you life something heavy."

I smiled as she helped me out of my sling. "Thanks, Katara." She muttered a "you're welcome" before walking over to talk to Aang.

Yes, I had finally learned everyone's name. Aang, the avatar. Toph, the blind earth bender. Sokka, the annoying wanna-be warrior. And, of course, Zuko, the banished prince. I sighed as I looked over at the strong, pale boy. He was currently meditating, his eyes closed and his breathing steady.

I stood up and walked towards him, stretching out my arm. I could feel a slight pressure when I extended it full out, but it was nothing I couldn't handle. When I was finally in front of Zuko, I sat down facing him, not saying a word. After a few more deep breaths, he opened one eye.

"What do you want?" He asked, obviously irked.

"Okay, then. Leave the fire bender to his peace. Just thought I'd talk." I said, standing up.

"No, wait!" I could hear the slight desperation and embarrassment in his voice as he reached out towards me. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to lash out at you. It's just… I've been having some trouble with my bending, and I'm trying to think of what could be wrong."

I shrugged, still standing. "Well I wish I could help, but honestly I have no idea _how_ to.. But I hope it all works out for you. I know how it feels to not be able to do what you live for."

He looked up. "It seems you've been through a lot. You tend to always know how I feel."

I gave a sad smile. "Yeah. I guess you could say that."

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Later That Night, Hana's POV

Everyone sat around the fire, eating the delicious meal Katara had fixed for us. _(AN: just pretend that it's just Katara, Aang, Toph, Sokka, Hana, and Zuko. No one else. I know that there were a few other people like The Duke and Haru, but just say they got caught along with everyone else. Oh, and bare with me here as I sort of have to rewrite this episode, changing a bit of the dialogue. Thanks.)_ Everyone, that is, except for Zuko. He was off skulking in the shadows, watching from a distance. Finally, he walked over to us and spoke with shame.

"Listen everybody, I've got some pretty bad news. I've lost my stuff."

"Don't look at me!" Toph said defensively. "I didn't _touch_ your stuff."

"I think he means his fire bending…" I said quietly, looking up at Zuko for affirmation.

Zuko nodded and hung his head. "Yes. It's gone."

Suddenly, Katara let out a shrill laugh. I could feel the anger inside me well up. How could she laugh at something like this? How would she like it if all of the sudden she couldn't water bend? I could see anger reflecting in Zuko's face as well, and I longed to reach out and comfort him.

"I'm sorry." Katara said, an edge to her voice. "I'm just laughing at the irony. You know, how it would have been nice for us if you'd have lost your fire bending a long time ago?"

Zuko balled up his fists. "Well, it's not lost, it's just… _weaker_, for some reason."

"Well maybe you're just not as good as you think you are." Katara snipped. I felt like reaching over the fire and slapping her across the face.

"Ouch." Toph muttered, smirking.

Zuko looked away, thinking for a moment before looking back up quickly. "I bet it's because I changed sides!"

Katara scoffed. "That's ridiculous."

"I don't think so." I chimed in, trying to keep my temper under control. Because Agni knows what happens when I get too angry. "Zuko, I think your bending may have been fueled by rage, and you just don't have enough anger to fuel it the way you used to."

Sokka stood up. "Soooo, all we need to do is make Zuko angry! Easy enough." He picked up a nearby stick and began poking Zuko repeatedly.

"OKAY! CUT IT OUT!" Zuko yelled, causing Sokka to cower away. He pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. "Look. Even if you're right, I don't want to rely on hate and anger anymore. There has to be another way."

"You're going to need to learn to draw your fire bending from a different source." Toph stated wisely. "I recommend the original source."

"How's he supposed to do that?" Sokka interrupted, obviously setting up for another one of his lame jokes. "By jumping into a volcano?"

"No." Toph said sternly. "Zuko needs to go back to whatever the original source of fire bending is.

"So… is it jumping into a volcano?"

I smacked my forehead, trying to keep from screaming.

"I don't know." Said Toph. "For earth bending, the original benders were badger-moles."

She then told us the story of how when she was little, she ran away to a cave where she met a large badger-mole. It taught her how to earth bend, and see with her feet, as she calls it.

I snuck a peek at Zuko. He was obviously flustered, and… was he _scared_? I squinted. Yes, there was definitely a hint of fear in his honey colored eyes. My gaze moved down and roamed over his body, taking in his exposed collar bone. I then shifted further down to his muscular arms. I imagined what it must be like to be held by them, but my fantasy was interrupted by said boy yelling loudly.

"WELL THEY AREN'T AROUND ANYMORE, OKAY?"

I blinked. Who isn't around anymore?

Aang apologized for whatever he had said, and let Zuko continue. "Maybe there's another way." He walked over to the nearest ledge and looked out over the run down temple. "The first people to learn from the dragons were the ancient sun warriors."

Dragons?

"Sun warriors?" Aang asked, standing up and walking over to Zuko. "Well, I know they weren't around when I was a kid."

"No." Said Zuko. "They died off thousands of years ago. But… their civilization wasn't too far from where we are now. Maybe we can learn something by poking around their ruins."

"It's like what the monks used to tell me: 'sometimes the shadows of the past can be felt by the present.'"

Sokka said something stupid once more, causing me to roll my eyes.

"Either I find a new way to fire bend, or the avatar has to find a new teacher." Zuko stated, glancing over at Aang.

I could feel the color leave my face at his revelation. I felt guilty, like I was hiding an immense secret from these people. From Zuko. But I couldn't tell them, and I couldn't get close to them, for it would only bring destruction to both them, and me. I tuned back into the conversation after a few minutes of spacing out.

"We have to go." Aang said, looking up at Zuko.

Zuko nodded in agreement. "We should leave at dawn."

I stood up. "Are you sure it's safe?"

All eyes turned to me.

Zuko shrugged. "Does it really matter? Who else is going to teach Aang how to fire bend?"

I opened my mouth, debating on whether or not I could trust myself, but slowly closed it.

"Fine. Just… be safe." I said, staring into Zuko's eyes. He gave a slight nod before heading off to his room to get some sleep. Everyone soon followed suit, me included. But I didn't get any sleep that night. Every time I fell asleep I had nightmares of Zuko and Aang being captured and burned alive by fire nation soldiers. Finally, after the third failed attempt at sleep, I got up and went outside to wait for the sun to rise.

An hour passed, then two. Three, until the sun finally rose. I heard shuffling behind me and turned to see Aang and Zuko loading some supplies onto Appa. I hid around a corner and watched. As Aang clambered onto Appa's head, Zuko paused, looking back in the direction of my room, as if he was debating on doing something.

"Are you coming?" Aang called down to him, pulling him out of his reverie.

He sighed, then climbed stealthily into the saddle.

"Yip yip!" Aang cried, causing the enormous bison to lift off into the air and fly out of the canyon.

I watched the spot where they had disappeared for what seemed like ages, willing them to come back. But they didn't.

I hadn't felt this alone in a long time, and I couldn't figure out why.


	5. Blowing Off Steam

**Okay. So, I still haven't gotten any reviews on the past three chapters, and it's starting to make me a little self-conscious about my writing. Does my story suck or something? Please tell me if it does. Thanks.**

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I waited all day for Aang and Zuko's return, but they never came back. I sat on the ledge of the temple watching the sunset, my legs dangling dangerously over the canyon. One wrong move and I would be sent tumbling to my death. Or who knows? Maybe it was a bottomless pit and I would forever be falling, doomed to an eternity of imminent death. But I didn't care. My disappearance would probably make the world a safer place. I turned my gaze from the sky and looked down into the mist below. Just as I was debating about pushing myself off the edge, I heard someone walk up behind me.

"Don't worry. Aang will be back soon." Katara said, obviously thinking that I was worried about the air bender's safe return. "He is the avatar after all. He'll be fine. He'll come back and- and save us all."

I was beginning to wonder if she was trying to convince me or herself.

"It's not Aang I'm worried about." I muttered, looking back up at the clear blue sky. I could almost hear Katara's shocked expression. A moment of silence passed before she sat down next to me. Instead of letting her legs dangle off the side of the temple, she crossed them, obviously a bit more wary than me.

"You're worried about _Zuko_?" she asked incredulously.

I looked over at her, annoyance apparent in my gaze. "Not _worried_ about him, just- you know what? Why am I even talking to you. You don't trust me at all."

She blinked, her blue eyes a tell-tale sign of her current emotion. "I do trust you." She stated hesitantly.

I scoffed. "Yeah right. And I'm a six foot pink platypus-bear." Pause. "Why don't you trust me? Or Zuko?"

Katara looked off into the distance. "It's hard when you're from the fire nation." Her voice dripped with anger and frustration. "Your people have hurt so many families and villages around the world. Especially Zuko." Her gaze hardened. "He chased us down, intent on capturing Aang. And he… he _tricked_ me into thinking he had changed at one point, but he turned around and betrayed us not five minutes later." She looked up at me. "So forgive me if I don't trust you or that _monster_." She spat.

I rolled my eyes. "Wow. Way to stereotype, little miss I'm-better-than-you." Her jaw dropped at my bluntness. "Look, just because I'm from the fire nation doesn't mean I'm hell-bent on killing everyone who isn't. Like I said before, the fire nation has done nothing good for me. If anything, it's hurt me." I paused, pointing at my scar. Her gaze softened. "And as for Zuko," I said, my eyes flashing with anger. "You should give him a second chance. He left his family; left his nation, just to help you. And you're nothing but terrible and mean to him." I stood up. "Have a little respect. You're not as great of a person as you think you are."

I walked back to my room and slammed the door, enraged by the water bender's ignorance. How dare she hate me and Zuko just because we're fire nation? Well… I guess she sort of had a reason to be wary of Zuko, but from what I've heard from the rest of the group, he's been nothing but humble to them. Hell, Toph even told me he showed up and said he'd be willing to be their prisoner.

I fell on my bed, staring up at the ceiling. I could hear voices and laughter coming from around the fire out in the courtyard, but none of which were Zuko's or Aang's. I listened intently until the rest of the people went to bed, but they still did not return. Finally, I fell asleep, hungry and alone.

* * *

I rose with the sun the next morning and prepared for the day quickly. Practically running outside, I looked for any sign of Appa, but there was none. My shoulders slumped as I sat down next to the charred remains of the fire. I poked at it with a stick in a bored manner.

Why was I so obsessed with seeing this boy again? Why did I care? I couldn't figure it out. But then I thought of his toned body and his dark, slightly messy hair and sighed. How could I _not_ miss him? But still. This is ridiculous. I laid back against the cool concrete ground. There was something that I saw in his honey eyes that was calming; welcoming. Something that told me he was going to be an important variable in my life.

"Hey, Tumbles. You're up early."

I rolled my head to the side to look at Toph. "Is that shocking to you all or something? Because it seems to be the only thing people ever say to me in the morning."

Toph came over and sat down next to me.

"Well, the only other person who gets up at an insanely early hour is Sparky, but that's because he's a fire bender. He rises with the sun."

I tried to keep my heartbeat steady at the mention of fire bending. I figured that since Toph could feel the vibrations in the ground she would be able to tell if I was keeping a secret or lying. It must have worked because her expression didn't change.

"Well then why are _you_ up so early?" I asked, rolling onto my side and propping my head up on my hand.

Toph shrugged. "I don't know." She mumbled, a slight blush creeping across her cheeks. I cocked an eyebrow, but left it alone. "So… fire nation, huh?"

I chuckled at her awkwardness. "Yeah."

"What's your story?"

My smile disappeared immediately. "It's a long one."

"I've got time."

Luckily, Katara chose that exact moment to make her way into the courtyard. She glanced at Toph, then at me, her expression hardening a little.

"Good morning, Sugar Queen." Toph said, wiggling her toes a bit. I grimaced down at her dirty digits, even more so when she began picking at the dirt and grime.

Katara began making breakfast without a word, but I could tell she was watching me closely. It was like she thought I was going to suddenly lunge at Toph, rip off her head, and drink her blood.

I stood up quickly, causing Katara to jump a little. "I'm going to go on a walk."

"Be back in an hour for breakfast." She told me sternly.

"Not likely." I muttered when out of hearing distance. I walked until I reached the end of the temples, basically as far away from the group campsite as I could get. "Now to blow off some steam." With a deep breath, I did just that, using up all the pent up energy I had.

* * *

**Short and boring, I know. Sorry. And hmmm… how did Hana blow off steam? I bet most of you have figured it out by now.**


	6. Dances and Lies

**Thanks to Fox Alder and Insanity Is Iminent for the reviews. :] I really appreciate it.**

* * *

Hana's POV

The rest of the day went by slowly for me. Every couple of minutes I glanced at the sky, hoping to see Appa's gigantic white form creeping closer, but to no avail. I kept mentally kicking myself as well, wishing I would stop caring. But that never happened, either.

Everyone seemed to notice my foul mood that night and let me keep to myself as we ate supper. Sokka tried to get a few laughs out of me, but I kept my eyes down and ignored him. I went to bed before everyone else, giving up on that last bit of hope that Zuko would return before the moon rose. My last thoughts before I went to sleep were of him, and I couldn't stop it even if I tried.

* * *

The next morning I awoke earlier than everyone else as usual, but that was no surprise. I sat in bed and stretched, relishing in the feeling. I was still rubbing the sleep from my eyes when I walked out into the courtyard.

"You're up early."

I began to make a smart remark, but froze. Blinking a few times to see more clearly, I smiled at Zuko's tired form. He was leaning against a far pillar, his hair messier than usual.

"So are you." I said, my smile turning into a smirk.

He slid down the cement column from exhaustion. "Actually, I haven't gotten any sleep in almost two days."

I walked over and sat down next to him. Our close proximity gave me a chance to notice the bags beginning to form under his gorgeous honey eyes.

"Why didn't you sleep on Appa?" I asked, gesturing over to the large sky bison who was now fast asleep.

Zuko scoffed. "_You_ trying sleeping on that thing."

I chuckled. "Okay, so it's probably not as comfortable as it looks." I saw Zuko smile a bit, causing my heart to skip a beat. "What time did you two get back?"

He yawned before continuing. "About ten minutes ago. Aang went straight to his room to sleep."

"How'd it go?"

"Good."

The obvious strain from exhaustion in his voice stopped me from asking anymore questions. It only took only a minute or so for him to fall asleep. His breathing became rhythmic and his head drooped more and more with each passing breath. Finally, it fell slowly and softly onto my shoulder. I blushed, happy no one was around to see, and rested my head atop his.

It was a couple more hours before anyone else got up. The first one up was Katara. She came out rubbing her eyes, but stopped immediately when she saw us. She opened her mouth to say something, but then must have realized that Zuko being back meant Aang was here as well because she took off running in the direction of his room.

I giggled, causing Zuko to stir next to me. I stopped, but it was too late. He was awake. Once it registered that he was cuddling, he flew up onto his feet in embarrassment.

"I- I'm so sorry… I didn't mean to, uh…" He scratched the back of his neck nervously, blushing a tad.

He looked cute when he blushed.

I smiled up at him. "Don't worry about it."

He stopped his stuttering and gave me a warm smile. About that time, Katara, Sokka, and Toph came running out into the courtyard, followed by a tired-looking Aang.

"Show us what you learned, Aang!" Katara commanded wildly, a glint of excitement in her eyes.

"Well, I need Zuko's help to show you guys what we learned." Aang stated, waking up a bit more now.

Zuko walked over to him as the rest of us gathered round to watch. They began doing a series of movements that looked like some sort of strange dance. I was mesmerized by the strength and power exhibited in each step.

"With this technique the dragons taught us," Aang began as they started fire bending, "Zuko and I will be unstoppable!"

Everyone clapped when they finished, especially Katara. Was she always this perky? Either way, it didn't bother me at the time. I was extremely amazed, and even a bit jealous, to hear about their experience with the dragons. I had heard tales about the ancient Sun Warriors, and had been captivated by the stories of their power, grace, and wisdom. But I obviously had never gotten the chance to visit their ruins.

"Yeah, that's a great dance you two learned there." Sokka stated sarcastically.

"It's not a dance, it's a fire bending form!" Zuko told him, frustrated.

"And a damn impressive one, too." I pointed out. Zuko's eyes flashed over to me, pride evident in them. But Sokka wasn't done.

"We'll just tap dance our way to victory over the Firelord."

I clenched my fists. How could these people be so ignorant and uncaring about fire bending?

"It's a sacred form that happens to be thousands of years old!" Zuko said, moving to stand in front of Sokka threateningly.

"Oh yeah?" Katara began. I could tell her remark was going to make me angry, and tried to calm myself down with some deep breathing. "What's your little form called?" She mocked.

Zuko slumped noticeably. "The Dancing Dragon."

Everyone laughed, except for me. I stood up angrily. "Oh for Agni's sake, why don't you all just back off?" I yelled, taking everyone by surprise. "You'd be lucky if you could bend with _half_ the power Zuko has! You all are just so… so _ignorant_!" I spat, staring specifically at Katara.

She jumped to her feet. "Well if you don't like us, then why don't you just leave?"

I narrowed my eyes at her. "You know what? I think I will. This is all ridiculous. _You're_ all ridiculous!" I turned and bowed to Aang. "Good luck with the Firelord, Avatar Aang. I wish you a quick victory." I began walking away, but stopped when someone else cut in.

"STOP IT!" Zuko yelled. I turned around to see his hands buried in his hair and his eyes shut in anger. "You're all acting so immature about this!" He looked at me, lowering his hands back down to his sides. "Hana, I appreciate your respect for the ancient arts, but I'm not half the bender you make me out to be."

I shifted my gaze downward, mumbling, "Well _I_ think you are."

He ignored my comment and turned to Katara. "And you, please stop judging her just because she's fire nation. I know you've had bad experiences in the past, but there's no need to take it out on her. Or me, for that matter."

There was a pause where Katara stared at him in shock.

"Zuko's right," Aang said, looking between me and Katara. "Enough is enough."

I sighed, knowing that I was in the wrong. I walked over to Katara and gave a small bow of apology.

"I'm sorry, Katara. Zuko and Aang are right. We shouldn't let our difference in heritage get the better of us."

When I stood back up, I noticed she was glaring at me. "Sorry won't bring my mother back!" She said fiercely before walking off towards her room. Aang chased after her, calling her name in an attempt to stop her.

I threw my hands in the air, exasperated. "What does she want me to do? Admit that I'm a blood thirsty murderer who hates everyone who's not from the fire nation? For Agni's sake, _I'm not_!"

Sokka stood up, placing a hand on my shoulder. "Katara's had it rough her whole life. Our mother was taken away and killed by fire nation soldiers when we were little and our father left us to fight in the war. She hasn't exactly met any _nice_ people from the fire nation, so cut her some slack."

"Cut her some slack?" I said through gritted teeth, pushing him away forcefully. "_Cut her some slack?!_ Does she think my life has been all candied lichi nuts and fire lilies? Well if she does, she is _sorely_ mistaken! My life has been hell! I've lived through horrors her innocent little mind couldn't even imagine! So don't you _dare_ tell me to cut her some slack!" My breathing was labored and my eyes threatened to spill over with tears at the thought of my past. A soft yet firm hand on my shoulder caused me to look up. Zuko was standing in front of me, eyes filled with concern.

"Do you… want to talk about it?" He asked awkwardly, obviously not used to showing he cares.

I slapped his hand away, causing his gaze to turn unreadable.

"I don't need your sympathy." I spat, suddenly wondering why on earth I was so eager for him to return from his journey.

"Then what do you want?" He asked, frustrated.

I looked past him at Toph and Sokka, who were waiting patiently for my answer.

"I just want…" I choked on the words, staring up into Zuko's honey eyes. I could tell he was straining to understand what I wanted, but couldn't figure me out. I looked away, ashamed at showing weakness. "I just want to be alone." I lied.


	7. Rejection

**Thanks to Meerkatgirl13, Artistaa, and Insanity Is Iminent for the reviews on the last chapter. :] Now Hana-chan, do you have something you'd like to say?**

**Hana: YESH. *smiles sheepishly* Thanks so much everyone! *glomps***

* * *

I began running back to my room, ashamed of my moment of weakness. I could hear someone following, but didn't care enough to tell them to go away. Besides, I was pretty sure I knew who it was, and if I was right, I didn't care if they never let me out of their sight.

"Hana, wait." Zuko called after me as I entered my room.

I stopped, turning to look at him.

"What do you want, Zuko?" My mental barrier had been broken through, but I was slowly building it back up again. I couldn't get close to anyone. I would only end up hurting them… If they didn't hurt me, first.

"To… talk?" He muttered unconvincingly.

My mouth twitched a bit as I tried to hide a small smile. He looked so lost. I could tell it was hard for him to be good after so many years of being bad. He must have noticed my amusement, because his face quickly turned to anger.

"You know, I don't _have_ to be nice to you!" Zuko said loudly, trying to shame me into an apology.

"You're right." I stated, sitting on the side of my bed defiantly. "You don't."

He blinked, taken aback. Sighing, he sat down next to me and placed his head in his hands.

"You are so frustrating. You know that?"

I laughed, patting him on the back. "So I've been told." Pause. "You know, I don't think I ever thanked you for saving my life."

He peered at me from between his fingers. "Technically, I didn't save your life. Katara did."

"Good point… Well, thank you for carrying me to the person you knew could save my life." I said with a proud smile.

He sat up straighter and let his hands fall onto his lap. "No problem. I wasn't about to just leave you there all bruised and broken and bleeding."

I shrugged. "You could have."

"But that's unethical."

"But it would have been better if you did."

Zuko looked shocked at that last comment. "Why's that?"

I looked down at my shoes. "I'm a complicated person. The world is probably better off without me."

He placed his first finger knuckle under my chin, tilting my head up to look at him. "That's not true." He said softly, gazing into my eyes.

"Yes, it is." I pulled away from his touch, immediately missing the warmth of his skin. "Honestly. If you knew my past, you'd agree."

Zuko chuckled. "Look who you're talking to."

I paused. "This is true."

There was a moment of silence before Zuko slowly began leaning in closer towards me. I bit my lip, knowing what he was going to try. Would I let him do this? Could I allow myself to get close to him? His eyes fluttered shut in anticipation as he moved even closer. His lips brushed gently against mine, his breath warm against my face. I almost let myself go through with it, but instead I pushed him back with everything I had. He slammed against the opposite wall, staring at me in shock.

"What-"

"I'm sorry, Zuko. I just… I can't get close to anyone. It will only end badly. I think it's best if you just leave."

He looked hurt, rejected. Standing up, he made a move to comfort me, but I shrank back from his outstretched arms.

"GET OUT!" I screamed.

Finally, he took my advice. With one last look of aggravation, he slammed the door behind him and stalked off towards who-knows-where. I sat in silence for what seemed like hours, just staring at the door.

_Come back to me_, I willed inside my head. _Come back and hold me, no matter what I say. Please, just come back_!

But he never did, and I told myself over and over again that I didn't care until I believed it.

* * *

**Short again, I know. But I didn't want to drag this chapter out.**


	8. Flashbacks and Promises

**I am **_**so**_** sorry I haven't updated sooner! I've been extremely busy lately. Thanks to Jamie Lyn, Insanity Is Iminent, Ivac38, Ayala Atreides, and Artistaa for the reviews. :] I honestly do appreciate it, and it always makes me smile to see people actually enjoy reading my story.**

**Oh, and just so you guys know, the bold/italic text towards the end of this chapter is a flashback.**

* * *

Zuko's POV

She rejected me! How could she reject me? I could have _sworn_ she liked me! I could see written on her face!

I growled loudly and punched the wall of my room in frustration, sparks flying from my fingers. I had to stop thinking about her! Pacing my room, I ignored the throbbing pain radiating from my hand. But I couldn't stop thinking about her, that was the problem. I pictured her once more in my mind. I thought of her eyes, those swirling pools of chocolate, surrounded by the pale, unblemished skin of her beautiful face. I thought of her cascading dark brown hair, soft and straight. My mouth twitched up into a smile as I recalled the few locks of her bangs that fell into her face and over her right eye. She was gorgeous, strong-willed, and considered me a powerful bender. She looked up to me and trusted me when no one else did.

I fell back onto my bed with a sigh. Being a teenager was so complicated.

* * *

A Few Days Later, Hana's POV

I hadn't said two words to Zuko since I cast him out of my room. Every now and then one of us would catch the other staring, and we'd look away awkwardly. That's the only word I could use to describe it, really.

Awkward.

The rest of the group seemed to know something was up, but were afraid to ask.

One night, Zuko suddenly disappeared, along with Sokka. No one knew where they went, and things turned to chaos. Though the boys left a note that said they had gone on a fishing trip, Katara and Aang constantly wore worried looks on their faces, and I could tell from their tired expressions that they weren't getting much sleep. Toph, on the other hand, seemed to care very little. Either she was a master at hiding emotions or honestly just didn't care. I was leaning more towards the latter.

I was torn between two emotions: relief and loneliness. Relief, because I could finally relax after feeling so tense and awkward around Zuko. Lonely, however, because though I barely ever spoke to him anymore, he was the only one who seemed to genuinely care about me.

A few days later, during the middle of the night, a fire nation airship was spotted descending down into the canyon.

"Everybody ready yourselves!" Aang yelled, taking a fighting stance along with the other two benders. "Hana, you should probably stay behind us."

I held my tongue and did as I was told, hoping that maybe the upcoming battle would allow me time to make my escape. I was tired of dealing with these people, specifically a certain water bender, and couldn't wait for an opportunity to get away.

The airship landed in a clear space just big enough for it. I shrunk back into the shadows, ready to run, but froze when two familiar figures walked out of the airship.

Aang, Toph, and Katara all dropped their fighting stances, mouths agape. Sokka and Zuko walked down the ramp as if nothing about this encounter was strange.

"What are you doing in this thing?" Katara asked, gesturing towards the enormous airship. "What happened to the war balloon?"

"It kinda got destroyed." Zuko said, a hint of amusement in his voice.

"Sounds like a crazy fishing trip!" Aang said.

Toph licked her lips. "Did you at least get some good meat?"

"I did." Sokka began, a goofy grin on his face. "The best meat of all. The meat of friendship and fatherhood."

I gagged quietly, still lurking out of sight in the shadows.

Suddenly, a small group of people walked off the airship. The first was a very pretty short-haired girl with big brown eyes and a determined air about her. The second was a rather large, well-built man, who looked to be from one of the water tribes. The third, and last, was an even _larger_ man, but not quite as toned as the one before him. He waved awkwardly, stating he was new to the group and asking what was up. All three of them were dressed in dark red prison clothes, causing me to become a little unnerved.

"Dad…" Katara whispered, beginning to cry.

"Hi Katara." The water tribe man greeted, enveloping her in a warm hug.

I couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy at the sight. Closing my eyes, I tried to remember the feeling of my father's arms around me, but I couldn't. I backed up against the wall of the temple and slid down, placing my face in my hands. It had been a while since I had let myself feel for the loss of my family. Fire had taken them away from me, taken _me_ away from _them_. I didn't even realize I was crying until I felt a tear drop land on my palm.

I raised my head up and looked at the water droplet. What was happening to me? I was losing my toughness; I was breaking down and becoming an emotional softie again. And Agni knows how that ended for me last time.

"Hey." I looked over to see Zuko sitting beside me. "Are you okay?"

I took a ragged breath and looked back down at my hands. "Yeah." I said, wiping my tears away. "I'm fine."

"You don't look fine."

I said nothing, keeping my eyes down.

"Please, Hana. Just talk to me." He pleaded, taking one of my hands gently in his. I turned my attention downward to our hands, looking them over. His was larger and rougher, callused from endless days of training. Mine was smaller, softer. My training days had been cut short, and I didn't do meticulous strength exercises like he did. I finally turned my attention back up to Zuko to find him also staring at our intertwined hands.

"I wish I could." I whispered, causing him to look up at me. "I really do. I mean, I trust you more than anyone here. Hell, I've only know you for a short amount of time and I feel more comfortable with you than almost anyone I've ever met." His eyes twinkled a bit at my last comment, but I continued on. "It's just that… everyone I've ever allowed myself to care for or trust has turned around and burned me." I saw him glance down at my scar sympathetically, his grip on my hand tightening a bit. I had meant figuratively, but I let him think whatever he wanted to.

"I promise I won't hurt you." He murmured, looking back up at me.

"But I can't promise the same thing." I admitted, pulling my hand out of his grasp. "I've hurt people, Zuko. Physically and emotionally. I can't get attached to you, and you can't get attached to me. It will only end up blowing up in our faces."

He placed a hand on my cheek, looking me straight in the eye. I could see the emotion swirling in his honey eyes, a rare and mesmerizing sight. "Hana, please. If anyone can understand complicated pasts, it's me. Just tell me everything."

I took a deep breath and opened my mouth to speak, but was interrupted as a shadow fell over us both.

"Hana, I'd like to formally introduce you to my father, Hakoda." Katara stated excitedly.

I looked up at her. Could she not see that Zuko and I were having a private conversation? Why was she talking to me anyway? Didn't she hate my guts?

"Umm," I stood up shakily, "nice to meet you, Hakoda of the Water Tribe." I gave a sloppy bow, allowing my hair to hide my face from his prying eyes. When I straightened back up, I saw him smile warmly.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Hana." He said.

Katara pulled on his arm as soon as he had finished. "Come over to the fountain, Dad! I want to show you this new water bending trick I made up!"

I watched as he laughed heartily at his daughter's childish attitude and sighed.

"_**Daddy! Daddy!" A young brunette girl yells excitedly. "Look what I can do!"**_

_**The older man smiles affectionately and turns his attention to his youngest daughter. "Go on, let me see."**_

_**The girl takes a deep breath before kicking out wildly. A stream of fire shoots out from her heel, traveling a few feet before burning out. She follows up with a series of punches, followed by one last spin kick. Each jerky movement creates a small wave of fire. When she is finished, she is panting. A bead of sweat rolls down her cheek as the girl looks over at her father for approval.**_

_**His smile grows, proud of his little prodigy. "That's amazing, Hana."**_

"Hana?" Zuko asked, shaking my shoulders. I looked at him blankly. "Are you okay? You sort of spaced out there for a second."

I rubbed my temples with my forefingers. "Yeah, yeah. I'm fine. Just… thinking."

He watched me closely, obviously a bit worried. "Did you still want to talk?"

I shook my head. "No, I think I'm just going to go to bed. I'm sort of tired." I gave him a week smile. "Thank you, though."

Zuko looked a little crestfallen, but nodded slightly and moved aside in order to allow me to pass by.

"Good night, Hana." He whispered, watching me go.

I glanced over my shoulder. "Good night, Prince Zuko."


	9. Lightning

**Thanks to Densharr and JLynJoyce for the reviews. :]**

**Anyway, this is probably one of my favorite chapters I've written for this story. It's kind of a turning point in a way, so I hope you enjoy it. ^^**

* * *

The next morning I rose with the sun as per usual. However, as soon as I was fully awake, a foreboding feeling washed over me. Something bad was going to happen today, I could tell. But when I walked out into the courtyard and saw Zuko going through his morning exercises, all thoughts of imminent danger were washed away.

I sat silently on the edge of the fountain, watching him perform fire bending basics with graceful ease. When he had completed all of his exercises, he took a deep breath and calmed the energy within him. I began clapping my hands slowly, taking him by surprise.

"Impressive." I stated, placing my hands back down on the cool stone of the fountain and leaning on them.

Zuko chuckled and came over to sit next to me. "But those were just the basics."

"Which is why I consider you a powerful bender."

"Do you really?" He asked softly, a hint of pride evident in his husky voice.

I nodded. "Of course I do. You have this… _ferocity_ and power in you that I've never seen before."

He smiled. "Thanks, Hana. It's nice to know someone believes in me."

I smiled as well, watching him as he stared at me. He spoke suddenly, breaking the silence and making me jump a little.

"So… I know you didn't want to talk before you went to bed last night, but how about this morning?"

Sighing, I broke eye contact and looked out at the sunrise. "Why are you so obsessed with knowing about my life?"

His gaze still lingered on me, I could feel it. "Because I'm curious about you. I want to get to know you better. Something inside of me is screaming for me to do so."

My head snapped over to look at him again. Could he be feeling to same way about me? Well duh, he did try to kiss me before. But he seemed sincere on his intentions. Maybe he was different than everyone else. The inner debate about whether or not I should let myself get close to Zuko raged inside my mind once more as I stared at him. After a minute or so, I saw his lips moving and realized he had been talking this whole time.

"…and I just really think- Hana? Hana were you spacing out again?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

I blinked. "Yeah… Sorry."

He sighed, trying to hide his exasperation. "What is wrong with you?" He asked. It wasn't in an irritable or demanding tone, but a soft and playful one.

I shook my head slowly, looking back at the sunrise. "You don't want to know."

* * *

Zuko's POV

Hana and I sat in silence after her last comment. She watched the sun rise as I watched her. There was a pained sadness in her eyes, and I longed to figure out what was causing it, but I knew she wouldn't tell me. Not yet, at least.

An hour or so later, Aang walked into the courtyard, rubbing his eyes in a tired manner. Before any of us could say anything to each other, something whizzed by my head and toward Aang. He acted quickly, using his staff to hit the object back out into the canyon. Just as it cleared the temple, it exploded.

"Oh no…" I muttered, standing quickly. Hana followed suit just as a barrage of fire bombs were shot up at the temple.

Upon hearing the explosions, the rest of the group ran out into the clearing and stared up in horror at the fleet of fire nation airships now surrounding the temple.

I stepped in front of Hana protectively, shielding her from bits and pieces of jagged rock flying through the air all around us. Suddenly, Aang sent out a large blast of air, closing a series of steel curtains around the courtyard. I heard a cracking and crumbling sound from above and looked up. The ceiling was beginning to cave in. I grabbed Hana's wrist and dragged her out of danger, pulling her to the safety of the closest wall. Looking at her, I made sure she was okay before turning around.

I caught sight of Katara and realized she had failed to notice the crumbling ceiling above her. Without a second thought, I ran full bore towards her and tackled her, moving her out of the way of the crushing boulders. When the dust settled, I looked over at the pile of rocks and let out the breath I was holding.

"What are you doing?" She yelled, glaring up at me.

I looked down, surprised by her anger. "Keeping rocks from crushing you."

"Okay, I'm not crushed! You can get off me now!" She pushed me away and ran off into the chaos.

"I'll take that as a thank you." I muttered, getting to my feet. I glanced over at Hana and saw her staring at me sadly. Or was that a look of jealousy? It was hard to tell from far away.

I brushed myself off and ran towards her. Just as I was about to ask what was wrong, Toph used her earth bending to create a tunnel within the solid walls of the temple.

"C'mon!" She exclaimed. "We can get out through here!"

Everyone filed into the tunnel. Aang even tried pulling Appa into the darkness. I turned and faced the steel curtains where I knew the airships would break through soon. Realizing who was most likely behind this attack, I decided to stay behind.

"What are you doing?" Hana yelled over the falling debris. "We need to get out of here!"

I looked at her. "Go ahead, I'll hold them off!" She looked at me like I was insane. "I think this is a family visit." I explained, pausing for a second before sprinting off towards the crumbling steel.

Hana called after me, but I ignored her and kept running. I reached the crumbling steel just as the last pieces were beginning to fall. I jumped through a large hole and landed on my feet outside. Standing back up, I kept running, dodging a constant downpour of fire bombs. After a close call with an explosion, I sent a fire ball from my fist at the closest airship.

All of the sudden, another airship appeared in front of me, carrying none other than my crazy bloodthirsty sister. She smirked down at me, her dark hair rippling in the wind.

"What are you doing here?" I called up, clenching my fists.

"You mean it's not obvious yet?" Azula asked, gesturing at the chaos. "I'm about to celebrate becoming an only child!" As she spat out the last word, she flipped over the railing and shot a large column of blue fire at me.

My eyes grew wide as I tried to escape the burning flames. The impact of the blast sent me flying across the temple and into a pile of rubble. I screamed in agony, glancing down at the fresh wounds on my arms. Standing up quickly, I looked around me for an escape from the crumbling temple.

"ZUKO!" I heard someone yell. I turned and saw Hana motioning to follow her. "THIS WAY!"

I chased after her swiftly through the debris, watching as she nimbly dodged the falling rocks. When the whole temple finally crashed down, we turned and looked back at it. I turned and placed my hands on her shoulders.

"Hana, stay here!" I commanded. "I'll come back for you."

"But I can help! Zuko, listen to me, I'm-"

I cut her off with a quick kiss to the lips. In that short moment of bliss, everything around us seemed to slow down and stop. Silence surrounded me, and it seemed that nothing could touch us. I pulled away reluctantly and was brought back into reality. I smirked at her surprised reaction before taking off towards Azula's airship.

Running up a falling pillar, I jumped from the end towards the ship, shooting fire from my fists as I did so. But I had miscalculated the jump, and slipped on the side of the massive airship. I couldn't grab a hold of anything, and felt myself falling farther and farther down into the mist of the canyon. I heard Hana cry out for me as the air temples disappeared from my sight.

* * *

Hana's POV

I cried out for Zuko as I watched him fall from the airship. As he disappeared into the mist I felt the first tear fall. I looked up at his monster of a sister and gritted my teeth. She looked satisfied as she turned to me.

"Oh, I see Zuko has already replaced Mai with a new play thing." Princess Azula stated with a smirk. "No matter. I'll dispose of you quickly."

I screamed with rage, but made no move towards her. She was too far away. There was no way I could survive the jump. I'd be sent tumbling down into the canyon just like Zuko.

Another tear fell as I watched Azula's airship sidle up towards the ruins of the temple. But before I could attack, we were interrupted by a loud groan. Appa passed over me, a wall of rock shielding him and his passengers from Azula's blue fire blasts. As soon as they had cleared her airship, she turned back to me with a snarl. But my gaze was on something else, something that was rising up from the fog below.

She followed my gaze and froze in surprise.

Zuko.

* * *

Zuko's POV

I was going to die. I was going to fall to my death at the bottom of this abyss. Suddenly, I landed hard on the cold red steel of a stray fire nation airship. I gasped for breath, the air having been knocked out of me when I crash-landed. Standing up, I waited as the ship rose up through the mist. I could see Azula's ship growing closer and closer, and witnessed Appa fly past her fire blasts without harm.

Azula then turned with a shocked look on her face to see me. When the airship I was on was level with hers, I took a running start and leaped towards it. She shot a thick stream of fire at me, but I broke it apart mid-air with a simple kick, shooting a blast of my own flames at her in the process.

I landed gracefully on the ship and we immediately began fighting fiercely. Flame after flame was shot at me, but I countered without faltering. Suddenly, the airship shifted directions, causing me to lose my balance. I began sliding down the side of the airship, but managed to grip onto a nearby railing halfway down.

"You fought well, Zuzu." Azula said, standing over me. "But it was all in vain. Goodbye, brother!" She spat, raising her hand to strike.

But before she could do any damage, a bolt of white hot lightning flew past me and struck a piece of the ship's metal frame, mere inches from where Azula was standing. She took a few quick steps back, almost losing her balance before regaining her composure. Looking past me in shock, she muttered something under her breath. I twisted against the side of ship, enabling me to look back towards the temple. My jaw dropped at the sight in front of us.

Standing there with fingers smoking, on the airship I had previously occupied, was Hana.


	10. Secrets Revealed

**Thanks to Ivac38, Aihart, and Insanity Is Iminent for the reviews on the last chapter. :]**

**So, I think Katara might be a little OOC towards the end of this, but we all know she's emotional, so I played off of that a little. Anyway, enjoy!**

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Zuko's POV

"Hana…?" I whispered.

She took off running across the top of the airship towards me and Azula, jumping when she reached the end. She soared over me and landed in front of my sister.

"Well, well, well." Azula said. "Are _you_ going to fight me now? That's not very ladylike of you."

"Look who's talking." Hana spat, taking a fighting stance.

Azula snarled angrily and kicked out at Hana, sending a wall of flames her way. She broke through it with ease and turned on the spot before throwing a large fire ball her way. Hana's power obviously took Azula by surprise as she was only nearly able to dodge her blow. She turned back towards Hana with a vengeance and angrily punched the air fiercely. Hana stepped out of the way of the flames easily and faked a yawn.

"Is that all you've got? I thought the princess of the fire nation would be able to take down a simple peasant!" She taunted.

I knew exactly what Azula would do next and struggled to climb up the side airship to help Hana. I was nearly there when I saw Azula gathering up lightning between her fingers. I heard an echoing moan come from below just as I was almost atop the airship.

"HANA!" I yelled.

She didn't break eye contact with Azula. "What?" She yelled back, irritated.

"Do you trust me?"

I saw her eyes noticeably widen. "Of course! Now shut up and let me concentrate!"

I glanced over at Azula and saw she was almost revved up enough to strike. Not willing to find out if Hana could redirect lightning or not, I grabbed her ankle and pulled her down. A gasp of surprise escaped her lips as I let go of the airship, causing us to slide down the side of it. I looked up just in time to see a streak of blue lightning strike out overhead. Quickly after, Azula peered down at us in anger. With one last burst of energy, I felt Hana tense as she shot a sleek stream of fire at her. Azula moved swiftly to the side, but slipped and lost her balance in the process. She began tumbling through the air as well, trailing behind us.

Hana twisted against me and grabbed onto the front of my clothes. I held her close as we fell past the airship and dropped through the open air. Turning my attention down, I saw Aang steering Appa to fly under us. I reached towards Katara's outstretched hand, keeping my other arm wrapped tightly around Hana's waist. Katara yanked on my arm, pulling us both into Appa's saddle.

Once I made sure Hana was safely sitting in the saddle, I turned my attention back to my sister. I watched her flail wildly as she fell through the air.

"She's… not going to make it." I said quietly, trying to decide if I was happy about this fact or not. Before I could decide on my feelings, Azula shot flames out of her feet and fists, propelling her towards the far cliff. She slid down the rock a bit before grabbing hold of a ledge. "Of course she did." I muttered, watching her grow smaller as we flew farther away.

After the airships were out of sight, I was snapped back into reality by a loud and irritated water bender.

"You're a _fire bender_?" Katara asked, causing all eyes to turn to Hana.

She shrugged, slumping against the side of the saddle. "Yeah, so?"

Katara looked like she was about to pitch Hana over the side in frustration. "What do you mean 'so'? What is wrong with you? Why didn't you step up and say something when Aang needed another fire bending teacher? Huh?"

Hana rested her head back and closed her eyes. "Because. I don't consider myself that great of a bender."

"Are you kidding?" I asked incredulously. "You can control lightning!"

Aang whipped around from where he sat atop Appa's head. "You can _WHAT_?"

Hana sighed, but didn't move or open her eyes. "Yeah. It's no big deal, really."

I leaned towards her. "Yes, it _is_ a big deal! You know how _hard_ it is to control lightning?"

She opened her eyes to look at me. "Obviously."

I shook my head. "Do you know what I'd give to have that sort of power?"

Hana closed her eyes again. "It's not all it's cracked up to be."

"I don't know," I began, narrowing my eyes at her. "It seemed like a lifesaver back there on that airship."

Hana sat up suddenly, smoke coming out of her nose in anger. "WELL THEN TAKE IT! TAKE THE LIGHTNING! I DON'T WANT TO BE ABLE TO CONTROL IT ANYMORE! IT'S BEEN NOTHING BUT TROUBLE FOR ME MY WHOLE LIFE! DID YOU EVER THINK THAT MAYBE IT'S MORE THAN YOU CAN HANDLE? MORE THAN_ I_ CAN HANDLE?" She screamed, glaring at me. Hana took a deep breath and slumped back down again. Placing her head in her hands, she took a ragged breath. "It's destroyed my life. It's cost me everything."

Everyone sat around in awkward silence, staring at Hana in mixed gazes of confusion, sympathy, and anger.

"I'm sorry, Hana." I whispered, leaning over to place a hand on her shoulder. "I didn't realized it was that much of an issue for you."

She shrugged off my hand and glared up at me. "Well it is. So don't be expecting me to do it again any time soon."

I looked into her dark brown eyes; her gaze softened. "I won't be, I promise. But I have to know. Where did you learn such powerful fire bending?"

Hana sighed, shifting her gaze to look at everyone around the saddle. "Wait a second…" She whispered, obviously changing the subject. "Where's the rest of the people in your little group?"

Katara looked downcast. "They took the airship Zuko and Sokka brought back from the prison and decided to meet up with us later."

Hana nodded slowly, switching her gaze to Suki.

"And you are…?"

"This is Suki." Sokka stated, looking down lovingly at said person. "She's a Kyoshi Warrior."

"That's amazing!" Hana stated, sincere admiration plastered across her features. "Do you think you could teach me some moves sometime?"

Before Suki could reply, Katara cut in sharply. "She won't be teaching you anything!"

Hana jumped a bit, looking over at the water bender. "Excuse me?"

Katara's bright blue eyes flashed aggressively. She was obviously angry at Hana for not telling anyone she was a fire bender. "You deceived us. You're no longer welcome in our group. We're dropping you off as soon as we land."

"Katara…" Aang began, looking back over his shoulder.

"No, Aang! She lied to us!"

"How?" Hana asked, obviously trying to keep herself calm. "How did I lie to you?"

"You never told us you could fire bend!"

"And maybe for good reason!"

Katara scoffed. "Oh yeah, because teaching the avatar in order to help bring peace to the world isn't a good reason at all!"

"Did you ever stop to wonder if I was even a good choice to teach the avatar?" Sparks were igniting between Hana's fingers as she spoke, and I knew she was close to losing her temper.

"Would you two just stop fighting for one second!" I yelled at the two girls. "Look, Hana must have a good reason for not telling us she was a fire bender."

All eyes turned from me back to Hana, awaiting her explanation. She suddenly looked depressed and cast her eyes down.

"I'd rather not talk about it." She muttered.

"How convenient." Katara spat. "What is it? Something 'terrible' happen in your past? Did you kill a fellow fire nation monster?" Hana flinched, drawing her knees to her chest. "Because that doesn't seem like that big of a deal to me." I caught sight of a lone tear making its way down Hana's cheek. "WELL? DID YOU?"

"SHUT UP!" Hana screamed suddenly. "YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT!"

"OH, DON'T I?" Katara yelled back. "That's it, isn't it? You killed someone. Who was it? A soldier? An assassin?"

"Shut up, SHUT UP!" Tears were streaming freely down Hana's face now.

"Katara, stop." I suggested sternly. She ignored me.

"Do you have any idea what the fire nation has done to me? You killing one of those monsters probably saved hundreds of lives!"

"MY PARENTS WERE NOT MONSTERS!" Hana wailed, taking everyone by surprise. She buried her face in her hands and began sobbing uncontrollably. Acting impulsively, and a bit out of my normal comfort zone, I moved next to her and pulled her into a warm embrace.

"Nice going, Katara." Toph muttered, clinging onto the side of Appa's saddle.

Katara was shaking. "I-I'm sorry, I had no idea. I didn't think-"

"That's right, you didn't think." I interrupted curtly, rubbing my thumb gently over Hana's arm.

Her shoulders slumped and her gaze turned apologetic. "I'm sorry, Hana. I had no right to yell at you and pry at your past like that."

"Don't talk to me." Hana mumbled into the fabric of my shirt.

Katara shut her mouth immediately, turning away to gaze out over the clouds in the sky.

I held Hana close as she cried; her fingers clutched at the fabric over my heart. No one said a word as we flew through the air, the only sound being Hana's crying and Momo's occasional chirps.

Finally, Hana stopped crying and I looked down to see her fast asleep. I smiled at her sleeping form. She truly was gorgeous. My mind jumped back to the kiss I had surprised her with before I had battled Azula. Pulling her closer to me, I closed my eyes and tried to remember the taste of her lips on mine.


	11. Past Mistakes

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed. :] I really appreciate it.**

**Ivac38: Katara will get nicer pretty soon, don't worry. :]**

**JLynJoyce: Thank you. :]**

**Densharr: Thanks so much! Haha. I always worry about my OC's being Mary Sues.**

**You finally get to learn about Hana's past in this chapter, so I'll be interested to see how everyone likes it or if it's too cliche. Oh, and by the way, Hana is sixteen. Just so you know. :] Enjoy!**

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Zuko's POV

The sun was beginning to set by the time we found a safe spot to camp. Appa touched down and everyone immediately jumped off of the massive sky bison.

"You coming Zuko?" Aang called up.

I looked down at Hana who was still fast asleep in my lap. "In a minute."

I waited until everyone was out of earshot or busy setting up camp before I decided to wake her up. I shook Hana's sleeping form gently, causing her eyes to flutter open. She looked up at me sadly, but showed no intent to move.

"Are you okay?" I asked softly, staring into her dark brown eyes.

She sighed. "Would you believe me if I told you yes?"

"No."

"I thought not." Hana sat up and stared down at her hands. I noticed her fingertips were slightly charred and black. We sat in silence for a few minutes before she spoke again. "I think… I think I'm ready to talk."

I blinked, taken aback, but gestured for her to begin. She took a deep breath before beginning.

"I was the second born daughter of my parents, and after realizing my older sister couldn't fire bend, finding out I could made me my father's instant favorite." She reached up and tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear nervously. "I showed the first signs when I was five, and Father immediately began instructing me in the ways of bending. He taught me everything he knew; trained me vigorously. My mother did not approve, but she feared my father and the power he possessed. And soon, over time, she grew to fear me as well."

She paused, and I couldn't help but think her story reminded me a lot of Azula.

"I was only nine when he began teaching me about redirecting lightning. By my tenth birthday, I could redirect it with ease. By my eleventh, I could conjure and control it. I became obsessed with it. The power I felt when I held all that energy between my hands was just…" She held up her hands, staring at them.

"Addicting?" I offered. She nodded, lowering her hands and head in shame.

"My father tried to warn me, saying that if I let the lightning gather up too much energy, it would be the end of me. But I didn't listen." I saw a tear fall from her eye, but refrained from reaching out. "One day, a few weeks before my thirteenth birthday, I was training with my father as per usual. He asked me to conjure up lighting and strike at a rock. He stood back to watch as I flowed through the movements. Wanting to impress him, I gathered more energy than I ever had before. He yelled at me to stop, warning that I could not control it if it got too big, but I ignored him. My obsession with power took over as the lightning grew and grew. He reached out towards me just as I was directing it towards the rock. It jumped straight to his body; he was killed instantly."

I placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Hana, I'm so-"

"I'm not done." She stated, looking at me out of the corner of her eye. "My mother had heard my father yelling and came out of the house to see what was the matter. She saw me standing over his body, fingers smoking, and jumped to conclusions. She thought I did it on purpose. She-" Hana choked on tears, but I waited for her to continue. "She started screaming at me, calling me a monster; a murderer. She threatened to turn me in to the authorities, to have me killed. I panicked, and… and before I knew what I was doing she had burned to death."

I couldn't help but flinch. Hana seemed not to notice as she kept talking.

"I was horrified, angry at myself and the power that had grown within me. I was probably standing there in shock for over an hour before my sister came home from town. When she saw what I had done, she unleashed her fury on me. It was frightening. In order to try and gain some approval from Father, she had trained with a local master in the ways of hand to hand combat. She was extremely skilled, precise, and quick. But I was quicker. I dodged her blows and ran, ran as fast as I could. I ran until my legs gave out and I fell to the ground from exhaustion. I've been traveling around the world ever since."

"Alone?" I asked impulsively.

She regained her composure a bit before answering. "Most of the time."

I looked down and caught sight of her scar. Touching it lightly, I looked up at her questioningly.

"This was the result of my first attempt at conjuring lightning. That and I was eyebrow-less for a few weeks." She forced a chuckled through her tears, offering up a bit of light humor.

"Oh, Hana." I whispered, unsure of how to comfort her. "I'm sorry. It wasn't your fault."

"But it was." She looked up at me blankly. "I let power consume me, take over me. If I would have just listened to my father…" She trailed off, shaking her head.

My fingers twitched, aching to touch her, to run through her soft brown hair comfortingly, but I wasn't sure how she would react.

"I can see why you chose not to conjure lightning anymore, let alone fire bend." Something nagged at me, and before I could stop myself I blurted, "But why did you choose to fight back there at the temple?"

Hana's gaze softened as her eyes ran over my face. "Because I couldn't stand to watch yet another person I care about die by means of fire."

My eyes grew wide as she said this. "You… you _care_ about me?"

She smiled softly. "Yes. To be honest, I'm not sure why. I haven't known you for that long, but I'm drawn to you." Hana squinted her eyes. "There's something about you that just… _appeals_ to me. Something that's comforting, yet unsettling at the same time. I'm not quite sure how to explain it."

My mouth opened and closed as if to form words, but no sound came out. I wanted to tell her that she had described it perfectly, that I knew exactly how she felt, but I couldn't. My throat was suddenly dry and my heart was beating a thousand times a minute. When I finally mustered up the courage to say something, a pair of blue eyes peeked over the side of the saddle curiously.

"Are you two going to help at all, or are you just going to sit here and chatter away?" Katara asked, keeping her eyes only on me.

"Why do I need to help?" Hana asked harshly. "I'm getting kicked out of the group anyway."

"NO." I said loudly, catching both girls by surprise. "I mean, umm…" I turned to Katara. "You weren't serious about her leaving, were you?"

The water bender glanced over at Hana warily. "I don't know, Zuko. I just don't think she can be trusted."

Hana rolled her eyes, but said nothing as Katara clambered back down Appa's side and landed with a soft thud in the grass below.

"What is her deal?" She asked once Katara was out of earshot.

I shook my head. "I have no idea. But don't listen to her. I want you to stay." I stated awkwardly.

She sighed, standing up in the saddle. I stood as well, waiting for her answer. "Look, Zuko. I really wish I could, but I just don't think that staying here with all of you is a good idea. If Katara makes me too angry, I might do something I'll regret. I can't go through something like that again. You can't trust me. Agni, _I_ can't even trust myself!"

My mind raced, trying to think of something that would convince Hana to stay. "If I can get Katara to change her attitude towards you, and me for that matter, would you stay?"

She pondered this for a while, chewing on her lip in thought. "I guess so." She said slowly.

I hugged her stiffly, but didn't speak. Pulling away, I noticed a light blush creep across her cheeks. The color was a striking contrast against her pale skin. With one last glance holding an unspoken promise, I jumped gracefully off of the saddle and made my way quickly into camp. I had to talk to Sokka fast if I wanted to help Katara and keep Hana close.


	12. Trust

**Thanks for the reviews, everyone. :]**

**Densharr: Yes, I kept that in mind as I wrote that chapter. But who's to say that another master fire bender didn't study the water benders and figured it out? I know it's a long shot, but that's how I wrote it. Thanks for the review, and for challenging my ideas. :] I honestly do appreciate constructive criticism.**

**Ivac38: Thanks so much. :]**

**Artistaa: Thank you. :]**

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Hana's POV, Later That Night

Toph was nice enough to let me stay in her make-shift earth tent. I guess she was impressed by my skills. Either that or she liked the way I took on Katara. I lay on the loose earth, listening to Toph's soft snores. Sighing, I stood and exited the shelter. I looked around. The place where we had set up camp was truly beautiful, lit up by the moonlight in a striking way.

I walked aimlessly through the tall grass, running my fingers across the tops of the blades. Suddenly, I stumbled upon a small creak flowing gently across the earth. I laid down next to it and looked up at the stars, letting my mind wander.

Why did Zuko seem to care so much about me? Why did he care so much if I left the group or stayed? Why did he kiss me before he left to fight Azula?

I felt my cheeks grow hot as I thought of the kiss. His lips had been so soft, so inviting, I had lost myself in the moment, even though it had caught me by surprise. My fingers moved up to touch my lips softly. I could almost still feel his mouth against mine. I clenched my fist, my nails digging into the skin of my palm. I couldn't let him get to me. I only ended up hurting the people I loved.

I turned on my side and watched the water glisten in the moonlight as it moved past the rocks and grass.

But maybe this time could be different? Zuko seemed stronger than everyone else, like he would be able to stop me if I became obsessed with power again. Like he would be capable of loving me even though I've made some terrible mistakes. After all, he had his own troubled past. He understood me, and I understood him.

I stayed by the creek for a few more hours, watching the stars and the moon shine down on me. When I stood up, the wind tousled my hair gently around my face. I began walking back towards camp, running through consequences that could come from each possible decision.

When I made it back to the campsite, I caught sight of Zuko sitting on a rock just outside of Katara's tent. His rhythmic breathing and slumped form told me he was asleep. I smiled, walking over towards him. I crouched down in front of him and looked up at his face. As I brushed my fingertips gently over his scar, he stirred slightly and awoke.

"Hana…" He muttered sleepily, sitting up a bit more.

I refrained from questioning him on why he was perched in front of the water bender's tent and instead ran my hand through his dark hair. He closed his eyes and leaned into my touch.

"Thank you." I whispered, my fingers leaving his hair and trailing down his neck to his collar bone.

He looked down at me, his honey eyes glowing in the moonlight. "For what?"

I moved my hand to the back of his neck and brought his lips down to mine in a soft, sweet kiss. When I pulled away, we were both shaking.

"Thank you for caring."

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I woke up the next morning later than I usually do. Even Sokka was awake when I went out to sit with the others. Looking around, I noticed Zuko and Katara were missing.

"Katara decided it was her turn to take a life changing field trip with Zuko." Aang stated, noticing my confused look.

"Oh." I mumbled, staring at the ground.

The rest of the day was kind of a blur. It was like déjà vu for me, watching the sky for any signs of Appa or Zuko. Suki seemed to notice my distraction and, after dinner, asked to talk to me alone. We walked off into the darkness a ways until the campfire was only a glowing orange dot the size of my fingernail.

"So… what's up?" Suki asked awkwardly, looking over at me.

I glanced at her out of the corner of my eye. "What do you mean?"

She sighed. "I guess I should just get straight to the point, huh?" I blinked, turning to face her. "Look, I know something is going on between you and Zuko."

"I- I, uh…" I stammered, blushing madly. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Suki rolled her eyes. "Oh, come on. I may be an elite warrior, but I'm still a girl, and I see the way you look at him. It's the same way I look at Sokka. It's like you can't stand to think about life without him."

I shook my head. "You don't understand. There's nothing happening with me and Zuko."

She took my firmly by the shoulders and shook me. "Then _make_ something happen, Hana! He's crazy about you! Every time you're around, he can't take his eyes off of you!"

I cast my eyes downward, trying to hide my smile. "I don't know, Suki. Relationships always seem to blow up in my face."

"But this one could be different." She said softly. "Just give it a try and see what happens." I looked up at her, a small smirk on my face. Her mouth turned up in a devilish smile. "You already _did_ give it a try, didn't you? Oh, you're bad, Hana."

I laughed; Suki joined in.

"So, what happened? Tell me _everything_!" She commanded, giving me her full attention.

I stood there awkwardly, chewing my bottom lip. "Umm, I don't know…" 

"Hey," She said, giving me a warm smile. "I can keep a secret. This is what girls do. Exchange secrets, talk about boys, that sort of thing."

Sighing, I played with my fingers. "I guess I wouldn't know. I've never really had a best girl friend." I pushed a stray strand of my hair out of my face. "Most of my close friends have been guys, and the ones that _were_ girls weren't very girly. I tend to not get along with prissy girls that well. And my sister…" I stopped, trailing off.

"Don't worry about it. I know what you mean." Suki told me. "I grew up surrounded by my fellow Kyoshi Warriors. Some of them were girly, but most of them were tough and tomboyish. But seriously, you can tell me anything, anytime."

I smiled. "Thanks Suki."

Awkward pause.

"Sooo… What happened?"

Laughing, I told Suki about the kiss the night before, deciding not to tell her about when Zuko kissed me during Azula's attack. It felt weird opening up to someone and telling them how I feel. I had always kept my emotions bottled up, not really letting anyone in. But over the past two weeks, I had allowed mulitiple people a look into my life, and it wasn't nearly as scary as I thought it would be. They didn't seem like the type of people to hurt me, or leave me for someone else.

At least, that's what I thought until Zuko and Katara arrived back at camp a few days later.

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**How convenient. When I was writing this chapter, the Southern Raiders episode came on the tele. And I quite like the idea of Suki and Hana being friends. :]**

**Hana: A FRIEND! *glomps Suki***

**Suki: *falls back* Hi there? *laughs***


	13. Jealousy

**Thanks to JLynJoyce, chelle18, and Artistaa for the reviews. :]**

**That kiss in the last chapter is probably my favorite. It's just so short and sweet. Weird, I know, but I liked it. Haha! Anyway, I think Zuko is a bit OOC in this chapter, but it's healthy for a boy to be romantic every now and then. :3**

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As soon as Appa touched down near the shoreline, Aang immediately ran off to see how Katara was doing. I tried to hide my excitement of seeing Zuko again by walking nonchalantly after Aang. However, I couldn't hide the smile plastered across my face.

I walked down towards the shore and watched as Aang talked to Katara, who looked a bit unsettled. I slowed as she walked past Aang and towards Zuko, completely stopping when she gazed up at him. My heart dropped as she enveloped him in a hug and he immediately returned it. When Katara pulled away, he smiled down at her. She then walked towards camp and stopped in front of me.

"Hana, I'd like to apologize for the way I've been acting towards you." I stared at her, trying to hide the shocked look on my face. "I had no reason to hate you, and I'm sorry for yelling at you and treating you like I did."

"Umm…" I shook my head, trying to gather my composure. "It's okay. I forgive you." I squeaked, glancing over her shoulder at Zuko who was now talking to Aang.

"Thanks, Hana. And I hope you'll stay with us for a while." Katara said, hugging me.

I stiffened, waiting for her to let go. When she finally did and walked away, I turned my eyes back down to Zuko. He was now standing alone, as Aang was tending to Appa. When he glanced over at me, I saw him smile. I glared at him. He was gone three days _alone_ with Katara? Zuko began making his way over to me; I stood still, watching him approach.

I figured something like this would happen. I mean, I had to admit, Katara was striking in a way. She has these beautiful bright blue eyes that shine with this brilliant twinkle when she gets excited, and her skin is flawless. I glanced down at my scar. I must have imagined it all in my head. How could a regal prince fall for someone like me? A dangerous, homely girl with no self-confidence in herself.

"Hey." My head snapped up to see Zuko standing right in front of me. "I missed you." He whispered, his hand reaching out to brush against mine.

I moved away from his touch. "Sure you did."

His hand fell back down to his side as he frowned. "What's wrong?"

I crossed my arms. "How was your trip with Katara? Did you have fun?"

Zuko blinked, confused. "What are you getting at, Hana?"

"I saw your little love fest down there. I saw the way you held her." I turned away, daring myself not to cry. "I just thought-"

"What are you talking about?" Zuko asked, taking me by the shoulders and spinning me around to face him. "Wait. You think that I… That me and Katara…?" His eyes twinkled with amusement.

I suddenly felt extremely foolish, and looked down at my feet. Zuko placed his knuckle under my chin and tilted my head up. His honey eyes captivated me as he held my gaze.

"Hana, were you _jealous_?"

I bit my lip, but said nothing. He moved closer, his breath hot on my face.

"I wouldn't worry about other girls." He said huskily, his lips brushing against mine.

Something popped into my head, something that at the time seemed miniscule and unimportant, but now, in this moment, gnawed at me and drove me crazy.

"What about Mai?" I whispered against his lips.

Zuko suddenly pulled away, cutting off all contact between us. The look of hurt and sadness on his face caught me by surprise, and made me immediately regret my question.

"How do you know about Mai?"

His tone piqued my interest, urging me to continue this conversation instead of dismissing it like I should.

"Azula mentioned her when she attacked us. She said," I paused, trying to remember her exact words. "She saw me and said that you had already replaced Mai with a new play thing."

Zuko clenched his fists and shut his eyes tightly. "She's my girlfriend."

"You're _girlfriend_?" I asked, my eyes burning as I held back tears.

His eyes shot open. "NO! I meant she's my ex-girlfriend. Well, we didn't officially break up. I mean…" He groaned, frustrated. "It's complicated."

"So you were just _playing_ _with me_?" I said threateningly.

"No! I wasn't!" Exclaimed Zuko defensively. "I honestly do you like you!"

"How dare you." I hissed, poking his chest with my index finger. "I trusted you. I fell for you. Oh Agni, I _kissed you_!" I was yelling by now. Zuko's eyes were wide and I could see he was seriously taken aback by my attitude. "And all this time you've had a girlfriend?"

"Hana, you don't understand!" He started. "I don't love her like I love you!"

I stopped, taking a step back. "You… what?"

He seemed just as surprised by his words as I was. "I just… I mean, uhh…"

My gaze hardened again as I realized he was taking it back. "No, I get it. You don't mean a word you say. Everything you said and did was a lie. I know now. Katara was right when she said you couldn't be trusted!"

I turned on my heels and began walking back towards camp. A strong hand latched onto my upper arm and spun me around.

"Stop it." Zuko told me harshly. His anger took me by surprise as his grip on my arm tightened. "I meant _everything_ I said. I did _everything_ I did without questioning it, and I don't take anything back. When I kissed you, it was my way of showing you how I felt." His grip loosened noticeably, but he still held me firmly in place. "Hana, listen to me. I still like Mai, there's no way around that." I turned my head to the side, looking away. "No, look at me!" I did as he commanded and he continued on. "I still like Mai, and there's no way around that. But I've known her since I was little. I like her because she's my best friend. We dated, yes. She was my girlfriend, but it was awkward and forced."

I didn't know when I had started crying, but I sucked in air through my teeth as Zuko wiped my tears away.

"But with you, Hana," he continued, his tone of voice softening. "I feel like I can be myself. I can honestly talk to you without being shot down or criticized. You're upbeat and energetic, not to mention a powerful bender."

"Zuko, I don't-"

"Hana, your past is your past, but you have to admit you're an incredible fire bender." He pulled me close. "And you have no idea how attractive that is."

I buried my face in his shirt and wrapped my arms around his neck, taking in his scent. "You really think so?"

He kissed the top of my head. "I know so." His voice rattled in his chest when he spoke.

We stayed like that for a few more minutes before heading back to camp. That night, I asked Zuko if I could sleep in his tent with him, ignoring the shocked looks from the rest of the group, as well as the suggestive one from Suki.

Zuko pulled me close as I rested my head on his chest. I clung to his shirt; he trailed his fingers across my back soothingly.

"Zuko?" I whispered into his collar bone. He grunted; I took that as an okay to continue. "Can you promise me something?"

"Of course." He said, shifting a bit. "What is it?"

I licked my lips. "Can you promise to keep me under control? To save me from myself if I…" I trailed off, assuming her knew what I meant.

He pulled me even closer so I was flush against his body and whispered in my ear, "I promise."

Smiling, I closed my eyes and fell asleep almost immediately.

* * *

**Oh look, a cheesy ending. Oh well. Review please? Thanks!**


	14. Morning Exercises

**Artistaa: Thanks. :]**

**JLynJoyce: We were probably watching the episodes at the same time, because I was watching them again the other day, too! Haha.**

**Ivac38: Thank you. :] And yeah, the ending was definitely cheesy. But guess what? THIS ONE IS CHEESY, TOO! I fail. Haha! And I thought they were, too. I still like Zutara more than Kataang, but I definitely would have reached through the tele screen and slapped him.**

**So anyway, just a short fluff-filled chapter for you guys. Kind of sucky, but I hope you enjoy it anyway. :] Once again, a bit OOC for Zuko, but it was fun to write.**

* * *

Zuko's POV, The Next Morning

I could physically feel my body warming from the inside out as the sun rose over the horizon. Waking up little by little, I felt something move beside me. My eyes flew open in terror, only to be met with the face of an angel.

Hana's eyelashes fluttered lightly as she slept; her face was calm and a few locks of soft dark hair had fallen in front of them overnight. I brushed them aside as softly as I could, not wanting to wake her just yet. She moaned quietly in her sleep, subconsciously moving closer to me.

"I could get used to waking up to you." I whispered, running my hand down her side to rest on her hip.

Slowly, Hana opened her eyes and looked up at me.

"Good morning." She mumbled, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

I smiled. "Good morning."

Hana sat up and cracked her back. I cringed at the sound as I sat up as well.

"Uh, how'd you sleep?" I asked awkwardly.

She smiled. "Good. You?" I could tell she was feeling a bit awkward as well.

"Same."

Pause.

"So, I'm going to go run through some bending exercises…" I announced, stretching my arms before exiting the tent.

"May I join you?"

Turning around quickly, I looked at Hana. She seemed a bit shy in asking, like she was invading my privacy.

"I thought you didn't want to fire bend anymore?"

She took a step closer to me and straightened out my tunic. "Well, now that I have someone to keep me in check," Hana looked me in the eye, "what's to worry about? Besides. I'm about due for some exercises anyway."

Smiling at her, I took her hand in mine and led her down to the beach to practice.

* * *

Zuko's POV, One Hour Later

I watched Hana as she finished her warm ups and transitioned into some actual bending moves. Some of the forms she used were incredibly complex and powerful. I was awestruck by her knowledge and ferocity. I had seen her bend back at the air temples, but I was fairly distracted with hanging onto the airship for dear life to really watch her.

Hana seemed completely immersed in her own world as she controlled the flames she conjured. I could feel the heat from the fire from where I stood a good ten meters away. She was almost as powerful as my sister. The thought of the two of them fighting again sent an involuntary shudder down my spine.

When she finally finished, she brought her hands down in front of her slowly. I saw her brow furrow slightly and could tell she was having trouble letting go of the energy she had built up within herself. I began walking towards her silently, watching as her features relaxed until she opened her eyes.

"That was amazing!" I breathed, causing her to beam.

"Thanks. But that was nothing. When I get really charged up…" Hana waved her hands over her head excitedly for effect before letting them drop back down to her sides. "But I'm still a little wary about that."

I gently grabbed her left hand and held it up to my lips. "You don't have to worry about that with me here." I told her before kissing the back of it.

Hana giggled, a light blush creeping across her cheeks. "Do you think you could stop me?"

Pulling her close, I kissed her cheek. "One way or another, yes." I moved down to her neck, kissing her pulse. She tilted her head back and to the side, giving me better access. I ran my lips across her skin softly, moving down to her exposed collar bone. When I hit a certain spot, she sucked in her breath.

_Gotchya_, I thought, smirking. Before I could go any farther, a voice interrupted us.

"Are you two lovebirds done with your make-out session, or should we just leave you here and come back in a few days?" Toph called out from the grass above the beach.

I growled irritably; Hana sighed.

"How does she do that?" She muttered, glaring up at Toph. "I thought it would be hard for her to see us on sand."

Looking over at Toph, who appeared a bit angry, I shrugged. "I thought so too, but apparently not."

"COME _ON_, YOU GUYS! WE'RE LEAVING!" She yelled as she ran back towards camp.

"Oh well." Hana stated, looking up at me. She began walking towards where Toph had disappeared, but I snatched her hand and pulled her back to me.

After kissing her flush on the lips, I whispered huskily in her ear, "We'll finish this later."


	15. Dibs

**Thanks to chelle18 and JLynJoyce for the reviews. :]**

**Another short chapter, sorry. The next one will be longer, I promise. :] Oh, and I don't know how most of you are pronouncing "Hana", but I just wanted to make sure you knew it was HAW-nuh, not HAH-nuh. A little late in the game, yes, but just checking. One of my friends was proofreading this chapter and pronounced it like Hannah.**

* * *

When we arrived back at camp, almost everything had been packed up and loaded onto Appa's saddle. All that was left were a few sleeping bags that needed to be rolled up. Hana left my side to help Katara hold down a particularly bulky one while Sokka tied it in place.

"Where to now?" I asked no one in particular.

"We're not sure." Confessed Aang, sitting atop his bison's head. "I guess we'll just have to fly around and see what we can find."

I nodded my head slowly, thinking. Suddenly, an idea popped into my head.

"I know where we can go." All eyes turned to me. "Ember Island."

* * *

The giant sky bison groaned loudly as it landed out front of my family's old vacation house. Everyone jumped off of Appa and onto the ground, gaping up at the massive structure.

"Wow." Hana breathed. "It's amazing!"

I stared at the large golden doors apathetically.

"It's nothing."

"Are you _kidding_?" Suki exclaimed. "Zuko, it's incredible!"

She raced up the front steps to the double doors, followed closely by Hana and Aang. Suki opened the doors with ease, the lock still having been broken from my tirade a few weeks earlier. The rest of us walked into the house at a calmer pace, taking in the sights and smells more slowly. Upon entering the main room, I smirked at everyone's amazed faces.

"I am so envious." Hana stated, turning in slow circles.

I shrugged, glancing at the spot on the wall where our family portrait used to hang.

"Don't be." I told her. There was a small pause before I spoke again. "The bedrooms are all on the second floor if-"

"I GET FIRST DIBS!" Hana yelled, taking off towards the stairs.

"Hey, not fair!" Whined Toph, running after her. The rest of the group followed suit, dashing excitedly up the stairs. I stayed behind a few seconds, letting out a melancholy sigh as I looked around. _So many memories here_… Pushing them all back down into my subconscious, I trudged up the steps to the second floor.

When I reached the main upstairs hallway, I could hear shuffling coming from each of the guest rooms along with excited voices. I took a left turn down a smaller hallway towards the royal bedrooms. I drug my fingers lightly across my parent's old bedroom door, the ghost of my mother's laughter ringing inside my head. Making my way to my old room, I noticed the door was slightly ajar. I pushed it open cautiously and found Hana standing in the middle of the room with a framed painting in her hand.

"Is this your mother?" She asked, mesmerized by the picture.

I walked slowly over and stood quietly behind Hana, looking over her shoulder at the portrait of my mother.

"Yes." I whispered. She ran her fingers over the front, gently brushing away the dust.

"She's beautiful."

I reached for the picture and took it from her grasp, staring down at it lovingly. A small smile formed on my lips. We stood in silence as I caressed the small frame.

"I like it when you smile." Hana told me quietly, reaching up to brush her fingertips across my forehead and push a few stray locks of hair out of my face.

I leaned past her and set the portrait on the wardrobe where it belonged. Switching my attention back to Hana, I saw her gaze rested on my mother once more. I turned away sadly and walked slowly over to my bed, sitting myself down on the side. A few moments passed before I felt Hana sit down beside me. She placed a comforting hand on my shoulder.

"I'm sorry." She mumbled.

I shut my eyes tightly. "It's okay." There was a short pause where I tried to keep myself from crying. "You know, I think the worst part of it is that I don't even know if she's still alive."

"She is." Hana said quickly.

Sighing, I looked over at her. "How can you be so sure?"

She smiled. "Some things you just… _know_."

"I wish I would 'just know'."

"You do." She told me, taking my hand in hers. "Deep down, you know. There's something there that's telling you she's alive."

I blinked. "How do you know this?"

"Because, " she said softly, her eyes twinkling. "It's the only way I know my sister is still out there."

Smiling, I squeezed her hand without saying a word. We sat in silence for a few more minutes before she spoke again.

"So, I definitely call dibs on this room."

I laughed. "No way. This is my room. It's _always _been my room."

Falling backwards onto the silk sheets, Hana stared up at the ceiling. "Yeah, well, it's mine now."

I laid back beside her. "I guess we could… _share_."

She looked over at me with a smirk. "Yes, that could work."


	16. Sweat

**JLynJoyce: Zuko walked **_**past**_** his parents' room to his room. Kind of confusing, I'm sorry. Just thought I'd clear that up. :]**

**Ellory: Why yes, yes she is. Thanks for noticing. Haha! I purposely made her sort of up front and blunt. I think it's a better personality pairing for Zuzu. :]**

**Ivac38: Thanks. :] And I thought about posting more than one chapter a day, but I'm worried that I'll get too far ahead of myself in postings and won't be able to keep up with my writing. I'm still in the process of writing this story, and I'm only a few chapters ahead of myself at the moment.**

**Thanks for the reviews, favorites, and alerts everyone! And I apologize for having to rewrite the episode again. Ugh, I don't like doing it, but I like to stick to the actual story line.**

* * *

The Next Day, Hana's POV

Zuko and Aang trained for hours while the rest of us sat around the courtyard of the vacation house, sweating like a pack of boar-q-pines. Well, all of us except for Sokka and Suki. They had gone to town for some food and other supplies.

I sat against a pillar in the shade, fanning myself with my hand. Glancing over at Zuko, I saw his sweat-drenched dark hair clung to the contours of his face, framing his determined gaze. Shifting my eyes downward, I watched the sweat drip down his bare chest as he fire bended. I licked my lips as I wiped the sweat from my own forehead.

When the two finished training, they bowed to each other. Zuko stretched and headed over to sit on the side of a now not-functioning fountain.

"Doesn't it seem kind of weird that we're hiding from the firelord in his own house?" Katara asked, leaning back farther into the shade.

"I told you," Zuko stated, running a towel over his hair, face, and neck, "my father hasn't come here since our family was actually happy." He slumped forward a bit, exhausted from the heat. "And that was a long time ago. It's the last place anyone would think to look for us."

I stared at him, watching his body language as he stared down at the ground, and debated on whether or not I should speak up. So here I was again, keeping a secret from him. A _huge_ secret. Was this all I ever did? Keep secrets? Sighing, I rested my head back against the pillar. Now was not a good time for Zuko to know the truth.

Suddenly, Sokka and Suki ran into the courtyard excitedly.

"You guys are _not_ going to believe this!" Sokka exclaimed, holding a rolled up piece of paper in his hand. "There's a play about us!"

Suki stepped up. "We were just in town and we found this poster."

Sokka unrolled the parchment to reveal an ad for a play. It was a painting of Aang, Katara, and Sokka. In the background was a close-up face shot of Zuko. I noticed the scar was on the wrong side of the actor's face and giggled.

Katara stood up and walked over to Sokka. "What? How is that possible?"

Aang and Toph made their way over as well, staring at the poster. Well, _Aang_ stared at the poster. Toph just sort of stood there. Zuko and I stayed put, obviously not impressed.

"Listen to this!" Sokka stated, turning the parchment over so he could read the writing. "'The Boy in the Iceberg is a new production from acclaimed playwright Pu Won Tim (_AN: is that the name? I honestly have no idea. That's what it sounds like at least. Haha!_), who scoured the globe gathering information on the avatar, from the icy South Pole to the heart of Ba Sing Se. His sources include singing nomads, pirates, prisoners of war, and a surprisingly knowledgeable merchant of cabbage.'"

Suki leaned over and read the final line. "Brought to you by the critically acclaimed Ember Island Players.'"

Zuko groaned from where he sat and slumped forward even more. "My mother used to take us to see them. They butchered 'Love Amongst The Dragons' every year."

Everyone stared at him. Who knew Zuko was into theater? I stood up and stretched before walking over to the group. Zuko glanced up at me but said nothing.

"Sokka," Katara started, turning to look at him, "do you really think it's a good idea for us to attend a play about ourselves?"

"C'mon!" He whined, unrolling the poster again. "A day at the theater? This is the kind of wacky time-wasting nonsense I've been missing!" He smiled stupidly, looking around.

"Well count me out." I stated, sitting down next to Zuko. "No offense, but I'd rather not learn about everyone's life story."

"Aww, come on, Hana! It'll be fun!" Suki said, smiling.

I shook my head. "No thanks. I'd like some alone time anyway. After traveling alone for such a long time, being with you guys for the past couple weeks has been exhausting." I paused. "Once again, no offense."

"None taken." Aang said. "We completely understand."

"I think I'll stay behind, too." Zuko stated, wiping the sweat from his brow with the towel.

I placed a hand on his shoulder. "No, you should go. I think it would be good for you to get out and do something. Take your mind of things, you know?"

He looked at me, raising an eyebrow. "Are you planning on running away or something?"

I laughed. "No, why? You think I would?"

He shrugged. "I would hope not." Smirking, he hit me across the face with his sweaty towel.

I yelped, standing up quickly and wiping my face off frantically. He laughed heartily, a rare yet joyous sound.

"Oh, you're dead!" I exclaimed menacingly.

He feigned fear. "What are you going to do?"

"Like I'm going to tell you!" I told him, crossing my arms. "But payback will be hell."

Zuko's look of mock fear actually changed to genuine at my words. I smirked.

"So… anyway," Suki began awkwardly, "We should probably leave as soon as possible if we want to get seats."

Zuko groaned, smacking his head with his palm. "Fiiine."

Everyone made their way back into the house and began washing up. I followed Zuko into his, uh… _our_ room and sat on the edge of the bed. Zuko threw the towel on top of his wardrobe and turned around. He blinked like he was surprised to see me.

"Uh… I need to change." He muttered.

"So, change." I said, leaning back on my hands. He stared at me, his cheeks turning a bright shade of pink. I sighed. "Oh, fine. I won't look." I closed my eyes and covered them with my hands before falling back onto the sheets.

There was a moment of silence before I heard the rustle of fabric falling to the floor.

"So, what's the _real_ reason you don't want to go tonight." Zuko asked. I heard him pour water into a bowl and dip a fresh towel into it. I remained silent, listening to the sound of the towel running over his skin. "Hana?" He asked, pulling me out of my trance.

"It's like I said earlier. I'm tired. I haven't meditated in a while, and I seriously need to." I told him, my eyes still closed.

His breath was heavy as he drug the towel over his entire body. I squeezed my eyes shut tighter, trying to remove any temptation to open them. He was silent until he finished up. I heard him place the towel back in the bowl of water before rummaging through his wardrobe. Another minute or so passed before he told me I could open my eyes. When I did, I saw that he was dressed in the same outfit he had been wearing since I met him.

"Do you not have _anything_ else to wear?" I asked, sitting up.

He looked down at his clothes. "Why? What's wrong with this? It's comfortable. Besides, I outgrew all of the clothes in this wardrobe a long time ago." Sitting down next to me, he stared into my eyes. "Hana, you promise you won't leave?"

I rolled my eyes. "Wow. Way to trust me."

He stumbled over his words. "No! I mean, I do trust you. I just- I worry, you know? I just don't want you to leave."

Smiling, I ran my hand through his sopping wet hair. "I won't leave you, I promise. I honestly do just need some alone time."

A faint smile appeared on his lips. "You promise?"

I kissed him softly. "I promise."


	17. The Beach

**Insanity Is Iminent: I definitely would have attempted to sneak a peek. :3**

**JLynJoyce: It's one of my favorite episodes for sure! Haha.**

**Longer chapter this time. A bit steamy. Nothing M, but definitely T. :3 Oh, and the italics towards the beginning of this chapter are a vision.**

* * *

Later That Night, Hana's POV

I waved at everyone as they left, watching until I could no longer see them. Momo chirped as he flew and landed on my shoulder.

"Hey there, Momo." I whispered, scratching him behind the ear. "Looks like it's just you and me tonight." A low groan could be heard from a ways behind me. I laughed. "And Appa, of course."

Turning, I walked away from the vacation house and out towards the beach. Momo took off from my shoulder and flew above me, flitting this way and that a couple meters above my head. When I reached the shoreline, I sat halfway down the beach and watched the sun set over the ocean.

Momo chirped excitedly above me.

"Go ahead and go back, Momo." I told him. Sighing, I rolled my eyes. "Wow, I'm talking to a lemur. I've officially lost it."

He landed in the sand in front of me and growled, obviously irritated. I glanced at him.

"So you _do_ understand?" He stared at me blankly; I hit my forehead with my palm. "Just go."

Momo chirped once more and flew off towards the vacation house. I sighed again and turned my attention back to the sun. As it disappeared below the horizon, I felt myself grow slightly weaker. As soon as it was completely out of sight, I began meditating. Sitting in the lotus position, I rested my arms lazily on my knees, letting my hands dangle inches above the sand.

I closed my eyes and breathed in deeply, holding my breath for a few seconds before letting it out. I felt my body relaxing and mind clearing as I repeated this process. I lost track of time as I sat there on the beach.

_I was walking through a field of fire lilies, driven towards a figure in the distance. As I drew closer, I noticed it was a woman. Her long dark hair fell down to her waist and she was dressed in a mix of red and green garments._

"_Help him." A familiar voice whispered. "Promise me you'll help him trust again."_

"_I promise." I heard myself say without hesitation._

_I placed a hand on the woman's shoulder causing her to turn around._

_She was beautiful._

When I came out of my trance, I noticed a blanket was resting over my shoulders. Feeling a cold breeze against my skin, I shivered and pulled the blanket tighter around me.

"You were shivering violently when I found you." A voice said from beside me.

I jumped, turning my head to look to my right. A shadowy figure sat with their legs crossed, staring out at the moon's reflection on the water. He turned his head to look at me, his eyes emotionless.

"When we got back and I couldn't find you in the house, I thought you had broken your promise."

"I could never leave you, Zuko." I whispered, placing a hand on his broad shoulder. "I never break promises."

The light wind whipped at his hair, tossing it across his face and neck gently. He stared at me blankly. I broke the tense silence with a question.

"How was the play?"

He looked away. "It was terrible."

My fingers glided gently down his arm to his hand. I took it in my own and held it tightly.

"Zuko, what's wrong?"

He sighed and looked down at our intertwined hands. "I've done some bad things; made some bad decisions." His thumb rubbed gently over the back of my hand. "That play just shoved everything terrible I've ever done back in my face. Including when I betrayed my uncle back in Ba Sing Se."

"Hey," I whispered, placing my free hand on his cheek and making him look at me. "Everyone's made bad decisions. We've all done unspeakable things." His gaze turned from unreadable to understanding as I continued. "The important thing is that we learn from our mistakes and move on. You can't dwell on the past."

"But you chose not to fire bend because of your past." Zuko blurted.

I sighed, letting my hand fall from his face down onto the sand. "I didn't say I _never_ fire bended after that. I _had_ to. It's who I am." Looking down, I played with the sand between my fingers. "Sure, I didn't fire bend as much, but that's because I was scared. I still am scared. But with you here," I shifted my gaze back up to him, "I'm not so scared anymore."

The corners of his mouth turned up in a small grin. He pulled me closer against him and I draped the blanket around us both. I rested my head on his shoulder, smiling contentedly.

"Hey Hana?" He asked softly.

I closed my eyes. "Hmm?"

He hesitated. "I… I think I really like you."

I sat up and faced him, taking his face in my hands before kissing him passionately. I pushed him back onto the beach, the blanket falling into place as a barrier between him and the sand. My hands moved nimbly down to his belt, untying it and opening his tunic. He fumbled with it until his arms were loose before he flipped us over. Now on top, he stared down at me lustfully. Our breaths were coming out short and ragged as he leaned down to kiss my neck.

"I told you we'd finish this." Zuko whispered huskily.

I moaned as he nipped at my skin. His hands ran down my sides to my hips, gripping them tightly as I grinded up against him. I heard him gasp quietly as I did so. I repeated the action; his head flew up and his eyes closed in pleasure. I licked my lips before tangling my fingers in his hair and pulling his head down to mine roughly for another kiss. He untied my tunic as well and slipped it off. Now clad in only our undershirts and pants, I could see where this was going.

The breeze lapped at my skin causing me to shiver. Zuko pressed his body against mine even more, letting his head drop down to my neck again. I bit my lip and suppressed a moan as he drug his tongue lightly across my collar bone. As I tugged at his shirt, he kissed my throat repeatedly. I reached up and undid his shirt. He sat up and quickly discarded it. When he leaned back over me, I ran my hands up his bare arms, reveling in the feeling of his muscles as he hovered over me.

His eyes were darkened by desire and his lips were slightly parted. I couldn't help but think how incredibly sexy he looked just then. Zuko leaned down and placed his lips against mine, his tongue almost immediately begging for entrance. I allowed him access as he began fumbling with my shirt. His hands were shaking, as if he wasn't sure if what he was doing was okay or not. I let him slowly undo the knot holding my shirt together. It fell open, my upper body now only covered by my binding.

Our tongues fought for dominance as his callused fingers trailed lightly down my abdomen and up again, exploring the contours of my body. After a few more minutes, he stopped, pulling away suddenly.

"What's wrong?" I asked, panting.

He took a deep breath. "I- I'm afraid that if I don't stop now, we'll end up doing something we'll regret."

I smiled and put my hand behind his head, bringing his lips down to mine in a final soft kiss.

"What a gentleman you are." I whispered after we parted.

He bit his lip, closing his eyes tightly. "Yeah, well, a gentleman wouldn't exactly have to deal with the issue I have right now."

I laughed, suddenly realizing what was pressed up against my leg.

"I thought that was just a scroll in your pocket." I teased.

Zuko blushed madly, causing me to laugh even more. He opened his eyes and glared down at me.

"It's not funny."

"Oh, come on Zuko. You're a guy. It's natural."

He sighed. "Yeah, well, it's awkward."

I slid my hand down over his pants, causing him to close his eyes and suppress a moan.

"Is it really?" I whispered, pulling my hand away. He regained his composure and looked down at me.

"Y-yes. It is." He stammered.

I smirked. "Then I guess I shouldn't do this," I repeated the action with a bit more pressure this time, "anymore, huh?"

A deep guttural groan rumbled in his throat as he leaned down closer to me. His eyes were smoldering when he opened them.

"Hana, please. Not on a be-each." He gasped. "Stop it."

I giggled. "I don't think you want me to stop."

"Of course I don't. Agni, I want to go all the way with you." He told me, taking a moment to inhale deeply. "But I want something to look forward to. Something to keep me going when we attack the palace."

I sighed. "Are you always this frustrating and emotional?"

Chuckling, he rolled off of me. "I've been told I am."

Without his body heat, I was immediately overtaken by the cold. We dressed quickly and brushed the sand from our hair and skin before heading back up to the vacation house. I kept the blanket wrapped tightly around my body as we trudged up the beach.

When we were finally back in Zuko's/our room, we both fell on the bed exhausted. Crawling under the covers, I snuggled up against Zuko's chest and sighed contentedly.

"Good night, Hana." He slurred sleepily.

I smiled against the fabric of his clothes. "Good night, Zuko."


	18. Reaction Time

**Insanity Is Iminent: Possibly… ;]**

**JLynJoyce: Haha! Is that a compliment? I hope so. :]**

**chelle18: Thanks. :]**

**ToshiroHitsugayagirlfriend: Thank you. :]**

**This is pretty much a filler chapter, so it kind of sucks. It's totally corny and OOC, but I'm too lazy to go back and redo it, so you get a silly little chapter chock full of morning craziness. Haha!**

* * *

The Next Morning, Hana's POV

I opened my eyes slowly, feeling my body warm up as the sun rose. Realizing Zuko was still asleep, I tried to move as little as possible as I rolled over onto my other side. I watched Zuko as he slept. He seemed so peaceful. I brushed a piece of stray hair out of his face, causing him to stir slightly. His honey eyes opened slowly and a goofy grin appeared on his face.

"Good morning." He slurred, blinking lazily.

I giggled softly. "Good morning."

He brushed his lips against mine in a feather light kiss.

"Breakfast."

"Breakfast?"

Nodding, I repeated myself. "Breakfast." I jumped out of bed quickly and ran out of the room. I heard Zuko laugh from behind me as I took the stairs two at a time. Once downstairs, I headed straight for the kitchen. There wasn't much to work with, but I managed to find enough ingredients for batter.

"Perfect." I muttered, pouring everything in a bowl.

* * *

Ten Minutes Later, Zuko's POV

I walked downstairs and headed towards the kitchen. Just as I opened the door, I heard a loud crash come from across the room.

"Oh, for Agni's sake!" Hana hissed, glaring down at the broken plate.

I laughed at the sight in front of me. Hana had apparently taken it upon herself to make breakfast. Her hair was slightly mussed up and she had smudges of flour on her face, arms, and clothes. She turned to look at me and crossed her arms.

"What? Do _you_ want to take over?" She gestured to the mess she had made.

I shrugged, walking over to stand beside her.

"Actually," I began, taking the bowl from her hands, "my uncle says I have a knack for cooking."

Hana raised an eyebrow. "Oh really?"

I nodded, stirring the batter. "Yeah. It's something he used to try and teach me about when I first got banished." Hana scoffed. "I know, I know, not very manly or princely of me, but it relieved a lot of stress. Plus it was something I could use my fire bending on that wasn't destructive." Pause. "This needs more flour. It's too liquidy."

There was a moment of silence before Hana burst out laughing. I looked at her.

"What?" I asked, setting the bowl aside. "What is it?"

"Oh Agni, you sound so hilarious right now!" Hana said, doubling over and holding her sides and she laughed. "Who'd of thought the mighty Prince Zuko was into cooking?"

I rolled my eyes, irritated and embarrassed. "Fine, if you don't want my help, then I'll just leave."

"No!" She grabbed my arm; I smirked. "Sorry. It's just so… unexpected."

"Yeah, well, I'm a complicated person."

* * *

An Hour Later, Zuko's POV

"No, no! It still needs more salt!" I yelled, exasperated.

Hana sat on the floor, covered in even more flour than before. She looked up at me tiredly. She was still stirring our most current attempt at an acceptable batter.

"I think it tastes fine!" She exclaimed, taking the spoon out of the bowl and licking it.

"Don't do that!" I hissed, snatching it from her hands. "People don't want your spit all over their food."

Hana smirked. "Well, you don't seem to mind my spit."

I blushed, standing up and holding the spoon out of her reach. "Yeah, well, that's different. By the way, you've got a little flour on you."

"Where?"

"Pretty much all over."

"So do you."

I glanced around the kitchen and groaned. "We've made quite a mess."

Hana sighed and looked around as well. "Yeah we have."

"What on earth are you two doing?"

We both turned our attention to the door to see Katara standing there, shocked.

"Cooking." We said in unison.

"Cooking what?"

We looked at each other.

"You know," I said slowly, "I'm not exactly sure."

* * *

After Katara had shooed us out of the kitchen, we went upstairs and washed up. When we finally went back downstairs, Katara had cleaned up the entire kitchen _and_ managed to cook a wonderful breakfast. Aang and Toph were up, but Sokka and Suki were nowhere in sight.

"That was a wonderful meal, Katara." Aang said, patting his stomach. "How long did it take you to make it?"

"Oh, not very long." She replied. "About ten minutes, maybe."

Hana groaned and slammed her head down on the table. I reached over and patted her back sympathetically.

"So Zuko," said Aang, "how about some training?"

The corners of my mouth turned up in a small smirk. "Alright. Let's go."

* * *

A Few Hours Later, Hana's POV

I sat on the steps of the firelord's vacation house, accompanied by Katara, Toph, Suki, and Sokka (the last two having joined us after breakfast, both of them a bit disheveled looking). We watched Aang as he trained. I critiqued him in my mind, but stayed silent. This was Zuko's task, and I didn't dare interrupt him.

"More ferocious!" Zuko barked from where he stood. "Imagine striking through your opponents heart!" I had to admit, he was quite intimidating during times like these.

"I'm trying!" Aang whined, turning to glare at Zuko defiantly.

Zuko ignored his comment and yelled at the young air bender. "Now let me hear you roar like a tigerdillo!"

Aang "roared" lamely and attempted to create a spinning wall of flames. I snickered.

"That sounded pathetic." Zuko told him, raising an eyebrow. "I said ROAR!"

Aang tried again, this time succeeding. I smiled proudly as Momo ran to hide behind Zuko's leg. Zuko nodded in approval.

"Who wants a nice cool glass of watermelon juice?" Katara piped up randomly.

"Oh! Oh! Me! Me! Meee!" Aang said, turning to run towards her.

"HEY!" Zuko yelled, grabbing him by the back of his robe. "Your lesson's not over yet! Get back here!" He pulled him back and held him up in the air.

"C'mon, Zuko." Suki said. "Just take a break! What's the big deal?"

I sighed. While I thought Aang did need to practice his fire bending more, Zuko _was_ training him pretty hard.

"Suki's right, Zuko." I told him. "Besides, it's hotter than a dragon's lair today. You need to stay hydrated."

He stared at me for a moment before loosening his grip on Aang's clothes and letting him run off towards Katara.

"Fine." He stated stubbornly, crossing his arms. "If you want to lounge around like a bunch of snailsloths all day, then go ahead!" He began walking away towards an unknown destination. I watched him disappear through the trees, but stayed put. He needed time to cool off.

"Maybe Zuko's right." Sokka said, sipping on his watermelon juice. "Sitting around the house has made us pretty lazy. But I know just the thing to change that." He ripped off his blue tunic to reveal his bathing suit before screaming, "BEACH PARTY!"

Everyone cheered and ran back into the house to change. I waited on the steps until they all came running back out. They all headed down to the beach, but I made my way towards where Zuko had gone instead. It took me a few minutes to find him, but I finally did. He was sitting in the grass on top of one of the many cliffs lining Ember Island.

"Hey." I said, sitting down next to him. "What's wrong?"

"They just don't get it!" he exclaimed, tearing up grass from the roots. "The comet will be here in _three days_ and they're down there… _having fun_!" Zuko gestured towards the beach where the rest of the group was laughing and playing.

"Agni forbid they have fun." I mumbled, watching Katara surf across the water on a board of ice.

Zuko sighed, exasperated. "You know what I mean."

I looked at him. "Yes, I do. And I agree with you. It doesn't seem like they're taking it very seriously. I don't think they realize how dangerous your father really is."

"EXACTLY!" He yelled, his eyes widening. "Aang only knows his fire bending _basics_, and he's down there building sand sculptures! It's just so infuriating!" I could feel the energy building up inside him, radiating out and feeding off my own energy.

I thought for a moment before speaking. "I have an idea." He looked at me, but said nothing, so I continued. "A sneak attack. You and me surprise Aang. He needs to learn to fight back instead of avoiding conflict."

Zuko nodded slowly, his hair flopping in front of his face. "Yes… That just might work!"

I smiled. "My father used to use that technique on me all the time. It heightened my reaction time dramatically."

He looked at me, a hint of admiration apparent in his gaze. "Well then, let's go heighten Aang's reaction time."


	19. Tense Smiles

**chronicxxxinsanity: Thank you. :]**

**JLynJoyce: Oh. Then thanks. :] And yeahh, I can't cook either. Haha! So terrible at it.**

**So, another episode rewrite. It's pretty tiring, and I know it's probably boring to read, so I try to make Hana's point of view more interesting so it's not as bad. However, there wasn't much I could do with this chapter outside of the actual dialogue, so I'll probably upload the next chapter either later tonight or tomorrow instead of waiting a couple days like I usually do. Uhh… yeah. Enjoy? Haha.**

* * *

I waited back by the vacation house as Zuko ran down towards the beach. I could heard the distance sounds of fire bending followed by aggravated yelling. Suddenly, Aang appeared through the bushes.

"Hana, help! Zuko's attacking me!" He yelled, running towards me.

I breathed in and punched out with my fist, sending a stream of fire towards the avatar. He screamed, using air bending to fly up in the air and avoid it. I stared at him as he glided over me to the roof of the vacation house.

"Did he fight back?" Zuko asked, suddenly appearing beside me.

"Take a wild guess." I said, pointing towards the roof.

Zuko growled angrily and followed him up into the second floor of the house, jumping and climbing nimbly up the side of the house. I looked after him in wonder as the rest of the group appeared around me.

"What the hell is your guys' problem?" Sokka yelled, getting in my face.

Before I could answer, a large air blast tore a hole through the wall of the second floor. Zuko yelled out in pain as he fell through the branches of a nearby tree before hitting the ground.

"ZUKO!" I screamed, running towards him. I helped him to his feet as everyone crowded around us.

"What's wrong with you two?" Katara screeched. "You could have hurt Aang!"

I supported Zuko's weight as he regained his composure.

"What's wrong with _us_?" He asked, finally standing up completely on his own. "What's wrong with all of _you_! How can you sit around having beach parties when Sozin's Comet is only three days away?"

Everyone stared at us blankly.

"Why are you looking at us like that?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"About Sozin's Comet…" Aang said, taking a step forward. "I was actually going to wait to fight the firelord until _after_ it came."

My jaw dropped, as well as Zuko's.

"After…?" He asked, confused.

"I'm not ready." Aang said, looking down at the ground shamefully. "I need more time to master fire bending."

"And frankly," Toph chimed in, "your earth bending could still use some work, too."

"So, you all knew Aang was going to wait?" Zuko asked, looking around.

"Honestly, if Aang tried to fight the firelord right now, he's going to lose." Sokka stated. He caught a look from Aang and shrugged. "No offense."

Katara stepped up. "The whole point of fighting the firelord before the comet was to stop the fire nation from winning the war. But they pretty much won the war when they took Ba Sing Se. Things can't get any worse."

Zuko's lip twitched irritably. "You're wrong." He turned away. "It's about to get worse than you can even imagine."

Everyone looked at him, surprised. He told everyone about the war meeting he had attended back at the palace. He spoke of his father's plan to burn the earth kingdom to the ground, specifically mentioning that it was originally Azula's suggestion that led to this decision.

"I wanted to speak out against this horrifying plan, but I'm ashamed to say I didn't." He admitted, sitting down on a nearby rock and hanging his head. "My whole life I struggled to gain my father's love and acceptance, but once I had it, I realized I'd lost myself getting there. I'd forgotten who I was."

I sat down next to him and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"We all lose ourselves every now and then." I said comfortingly.

He looked at me, the beginnings of a smile forming on his lush lips.

Katara fell to the ground, placing her head in her hands.

"I can't believe this." She muttered, shaking her head.

"I always new that the firelord was a bad guy, but his plan is just pure evil!" Said Sokka, pulling Suki close.

Aang looked lost and confused. "What am I going to do?" He asked.

"I know you're scared," Zuko began, standing up, "and I know you're not ready to save the world, but if you don't defeat the firelord before the comet comes, there won't be a world to save anymore."

Aang exploded. "WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME ABOUT YOUR DAD'S CRAZY PLAN EARLIER?"

"I didn't think I had to!" Zuko yelled, frustrated. "I assumed you were still going to fight him before the comet. No one told _me_ you decided to wait!"

"Or me." I muttered, glancing over at Suki. She shot me an apologetic look; I looked back at Zuko.

"This is bad." Aang said, falling to his knees. "This is really, _really_ bad."

"Aang, you don't have to do this alone." Katara told him, looking down at him in pity.

"Yeah!" Toph exclaimed. "If we all fight the firelord together, we've got a shot at taking him down!"

I stood next to her. "You're right. If we work together, we can do this. Don't worry Aang, we're all here right beside you."

"ALL RIGHT!" Sokka yelled excitedly. "Team Avatar is _back_! Air, water, earth, fire, fan and sword!"

I rolled my eyes at his childish ways, but cracked a small smile nonetheless.

Aang suddenly turned very stoic. "Fighting the firelord is going to be the hardest thing we've ever done together, but I wouldn't want to do it any other way."

Everyone enveloped him in a hug; Zuko and I stood off to the side awkwardly.

"Get over here Zuko! You too, Hana! Being part of the group also means being part of group hugs." Katara said, gesturing for us to join them.

We glanced at each other before joining the group hug. Suddenly, Appa landed on top of us, pushing us all to the ground. I grunted as Zuko landed on top of me. He blushed as he was pressed even harder against me due to Appa's shifting. I blushed as well, smiling up at him. As if our minds were in sync, we both leaned in for a short kiss. A round of "ooh's" and "aww's" came from the group as we pulled apart.

"What? What is it? What happened?" Toph asked frantically. "I can't tell one body from another, here!"

Everyone laughed, but no one explained it to her. However, through all the laughter and smiles, an obvious tension was present. The laughter was sharp and the smiles were forced. I didn't really notice it until I looked up into Zuko's eyes and saw a hint of genuine fear in them.

What had I gotten myself into?

* * *

**I don't really expect many reviews on this chapter, so don't worry about it. :]**


	20. Oblivious

**Ivac38: Yeah, that last chapter was definitely boring. x] But this one is a bit better, and the next two are **_**definitely**_** more interesting. Trust me. Big twist revealed, and not so much rewriting. :] And I've been noticing Hana's favoritism a bit as well. I'll try and make her a bit more social.**

**Hana: Hey! What if I like only talking to Zuzu?**

**Zuko: …I told you not to call me that.**

**Hana: YOU DON'T OWN ME! *tackles***

**Hana, get off of Zuko. He can't breath with you smothering him like that. And I'm making you more social later on. So deal!**

**Sometimes it seems all I do is rewatch and copy the dialogue from most of the episodes. I'm really sorry, my dear readers. It must be incredibly boring, even if I do add in a bit of Hana's "flare". BUT. Fear not, for I am working on a new story (another Zuko/OC) that will grant me pretty much complete freedom. Not much rewriting at all, because it doesn't really follow the episode storyline. I plan on posting the first chapter after I finish this story. :]**

**So umm, a bit more rewriting, but not as much as the last chapter, which was **_**ridiculous**_**. And I should really end this AN because it's getting long… Yeaaah… OKAYI'MDONENAO.**

* * *

Hana's POV

Later that day, Katara and I sat in the shade of the courtyard while Zuko put Aang through the motions of how to redirect lightning. The young air bender seemed excited at first, but once realization hit about how dangerous lightning actually is, his expression changed to that of worry.

"You'll have to take the firelord's life before he takes yours." Zuko told him sternly.

Aang looked away. "Yeah… I-I'll just do that."

I raised an eyebrow, but said nothing. Zuko began walking back into the vacation house; I followed him. Once inside, I placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Zuko…" I began, causing him to stop, "I think something's up with Aang."

He looked over his shoulder at me. "What? No way." Shrugging off my hand, he continued further into the house. Frowning, I chased after him, his longer strides making it harder for me to keep up.

"Zuko." I ran in front of him, causing him to stop. He kept his eyes down. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." He told me through gritted teeth. "Just… leave me alone."

He tried to push me aside, but I grabbed both his wrists.

"Zuko, talk to me." I whispered soothingly, trying to peer into his honey eyes. "Please."

His eyes flashed as he looked up at me. I let go of one of his hands to brush the hair away from his face. With a sharp inhale, he pulled me close, practically crushing me against his chest. After a few moments of silence, he loosened his grip, allowing me to breath again. I stood away just enough to see his face and realized he was trying his hardest not to cry.

"It's just…" He began, his voice shaking. "Even though he's the cause of all this destruction and panic, he's still my father. And I don't know how I feel about him… _dying_."

I placed a hand behind his head and pull his face close to mine, causing our foreheads to touch. His eyes squeezed shut as he took a ragged breath.

"I shouldn't care." Zuko said, gritting his teeth again. "He's a monster. He must be stopped. He must be-" He stopped mid-sentence, choking on his words. His eyes opening slowly.

"Zuko, if you _didn't_ care I'd be worried. Even if he is a terrible person, he's still your father, and you're his son." I brushed my hand over his scar. "No matter what, you'll always love him. He's family."

Zuko attempted to smile, but it was really only a twitch of the lips. I kissed him despite it, causing him to actually smile.

"It's going to be okay." I whispered.

He nodded slowly, breathing in deeply as he gazed at me.

"I know. As long as you're here with me," he said quietly, pulling me close again, "it will be."

* * *

Later on that day, as the sun was beginning to set, Sokka set up a sort of obstacle course to train us for the invasion.

"Gather around, Team Avatar!" He commanded, slapping a watermelon on top of a stick to create a make-shift scarecrow. Everyone crouched down on the ground in front of him and listened intently. "In order to take out the firelord, or, in this case, the 'melon lord'," he gestured to the scarecrow, "our timing has to be _perfect_." He crouched as well, picking up a stick to draw in the dirt. "First, Suki and I will draw his fire, then Katara and Zuko charge in with some liquidy-hot offense, and while the melon lord is distracted, Aang swoops in and _BAM_! He delivers the final blow."

Aang looked disgusted, but no one else seemed to notice.

"Uhh… What about me and Hana?" Toph asked, confused.

"For now," Sokka began with a sly grin, "you two are the melonlord's forces."

"So, I get to chuck flaming rocks at all of you?" She asked.

"And I get to attack everyone with fire?" I added, getting a bit too much excitement out of this than I should.

"Whatever makes the training more realistic." Said Sokka.

"Sweetness." Toph and I stated together.

Once everything was set up and everyone was in place, Toph laughed menacingly. I stood at the ready, boulders drenched in tar and oil placed all around us. Sokka gave the signal and he, Suki, Katara, and Zuko began racing forward.

Toph raised up a few makeshift soldiers and pushed them forward towards them. Sokka and Suki passed them swiftly and kept rushing towards the melonlord.

"LIGHT!" Toph said, lifting a boulder. I snapped; the spark that ignited between my fingers caused the boulder to burst into flames. The earth bender then chucked it at Sokka and Suki, missing them by mere inches. Suki jumped around it quickly, but Sokka took a bit longer to regain his composure.

"WATCH IT, TOPH!" He screamed.

"I am not Toph, I am _melonlord_!" She said, cackling.

Toph lifted another boulder and I lit it again. She launched it like a missile towards Zuko and Katara. I held my breath as Zuko just barely managed to dodge it. Toph then surround the two benders with more earth-made soldiers. As Zuko and Katara fought through them, I shot streams of fire at them, particularly at a certain fire bender. He noticed the special attention and glared at me, but I could see the playful smirk adorning his features.

As they continued forward and joined up with Sokka and Suki, Sokka gave Aang the order to strike. The air bender came from behind us, raising his staff as if to behead the melonlord. But as he landed, he stopped right before it hit the watermelon.

"What are you waiting for?" Zuko yelled. "TAKE HIM OUT!"

"I can't." Aang muttered, shaking his head.

My gaze softened, and I walked over to where he stood to place a hand on his shoulder.

Sokka soon appeared next to us, eyes blazing.

"What's wrong with you?" He asked, poking Aang's chest. "If this was the real deal, you'd be shot full of lightning by now."

"Sokka…" I whispered in a warning tone.

"I'm sorry," Aang muttered, averting his gaze, "but it just didn't feel right. I didn't feel like myself."

Sokka sighed, exasperated. He swung his sword behind him and sliced the melon in half.

"There. _That's_ how it's done." He concluded, sheathing his sword once more.

Aang turned away and buried his head in my tunic. I kept my arm around his shoulders, pulling him close. Did no one else see that this bothered him?

* * *

A few hours later, everyone was sitting around in the courtyard eating dinner when Katara came rushing out of the house with a goofy smile.

"I have a surprise for everyone!" She exclaimed, holding a rolled up piece of parchment.

"I KNEW IT!" Toph exclaimed. "You _did_ have a secret thing with Haru!"

I leaned over to whisper to Zuko. "Who's Haru?"

He shrugged. "Beats me."

The rest of the group stared at Katara in horror as she blushed.

"Uh… no." She said, shuffling her feet. "I was looking for cooking pots in the attic and I found this!" Katara let the parchment unfurl, revealing a painting of a smiling baby. "Look at baby Zuko!" She said, switching over to her baby voice. "Isn't he cuuute!"

The group laughed; I snickered as well. Zuko tensed and looked away.

Noticing his sullen expression, Katara added, "Oh, lighten up. I'm just teasing."

Zuko looked back up. "That's _not_ me." He said sternly. "It's my father."

A wave of awkwardness washed over the group as realization hit. I cleared my throat, averting my gaze from the painting.

"But he looks so sweet and innocent…" Suki stated as Katara rolled up the parchment.

"Well that sweet little kid grew up to be a monster." Zuko said, setting his food dish aside. "And the worst father in the history of fathers."

I placed a hand gently on his knee, hoping to comfort him as best I could. He glanced at it, but said nothing.

"But he's still a human being."

All eyes turned to Aang, who up until now had remained silent from where he sat a few meters away.

"You're going to _defend him_?" Zuko asked incredulously.

"No!" Aang shot back, standing up. "I agree with you. Firelord Ozai is a horrible person, and the world would probably be better off without him, but there's gotta be another way."

"Like what?" Zuko spat. I tightened my grip on his knee, trying to keep him calm.

"I-I don't know." The air bender stammered. "Maybe we can make some big pots of glue and I can use glue bending to stick his arms and legs together so that he can't bend anymore!"

I mentally smacked my forehead, and awaited Zuko's snide remark. Sure enough…

"Yeah! And you can show him his baby pictures and all those happy memories will make him good again!"

Everyone tried to hide their amusement. I glared at Zuko, but he didn't notice.

"Do you really think that would work?" Aang asked hopefully.

"NO!" Zuko yelled, brushing my hand away simultaneously.

I crossed my arms as Aang sighed. He began pacing in front of us, deep in thought.

"This goes against everything I learned from the monks. I can't just go around wiping out people I don't like!"

"Sure you can!" Sokka piped up. "You're the avatar! If it's in the name of keeping balance, I'm pretty sure the universe will forgive you."

"THIS ISN'T A JOKE, SOKKA!" Aang exploded, anger plastered across his features. "None of you understand the position I'm in!"

"Aang! We do understand." Katara said. "It's just-"

"Just _what_ Katara? WHAT?"

"We're trying to help!"

"Then why don't you figure out a way for me to defeat the firelord without taking his life! I'd _love_ to hear it!"

"Aang, don't walk away from this!" Katara yelled, attempting to chase after him.

I nudged Zuko and he stood, moving towards Katara to put a hand on her shoulder.

"Let him go." He told her, pulling her back. "He needs time to sort it out by himself."

Aang stormed off out of sight and everyone went back to eating their meals. As Zuko sat back down beside me, I shook my head.

"You all are ridiculous." I whispered, just loud enough for everyone to here me.

"Excuse me?" Katara asked, obviously offended.

I stood up and faced her. "You're not making this any easier for Aang." I told her. "And I know you want to help, but screaming at him isn't the best way of going at it."

She sighed and looked away. "I guess you're right. I never really thought about his philosophy on life." She muttered, staring up at the moon. "This must be extremely hard for him."

"Sometimes I forget Twinkle Toes is the avatar." Toph muttered through a mouthful of rice. "He's so… gentle, you know? Not the forceful leader everyone thinks or expects him to be."

Zuko groaned after moment of silence. "This is going to be a lot tougher than we thought, isn't it?"

I walked over to him and sat on his lap, taking him, and everyone else, by surprise.

"Of course." I told him, trailing my finger down his neck and collar bone. "But if it wasn't a challenge, then it wouldn't be interesting."

* * *

"**You'll have to take the firelord's life before he takes yours." It's a good thing I reread my chapters before posting, because that line was written as "You'll have to take the firelord's face before he takes yours." Bwahahahaa… I need to stop writing so late at night. O.O**


	21. Ghosts From The Past

**chelle18: Eventually? In his pants. :3 Haha! Jk. ...Or am I?**

**JLynJoyce: Don't worry, there's still a ways to go. :]**

**So, BIG twist revealed in this chapter. I wonder how many people will see it coming? Anyway, I hope you guys like it, because I've had this idea since before I even started typing this story. Enjoy!**

* * *

The next morning, everyone was loading supplies onto Appa and getting ready to head for the fire nation. I glanced around. Something was missing… Where was Momo? And… Oh Agni, _where was Aang_?

"Okay, that's everything!" Sokka stated from where he sat atop Appa.

"No it's not…" Toph said before I could. "Where's Aang?"

Everyone glanced at each other before running off into the vacation house to look for him. I followed them, but something told me he wasn't anywhere near the house.

"Aang?" Zuko called out into the empty house. "Aang!"

"C'mon, Lazy Bones, let's go!" Toph said, shifting her feet a bit to get a better look.

They split up, but I stayed put. If Toph couldn't feel his presence, then he wasn't there. I walked slowly out onto the balcony of the second floor, noticing Aang's staff was resting against the railing. I picked it up and examined it just as the rest of the group came out onto the balcony.

"He left his staff…" Sokka said, taking it from me. "That's so strange."

"Aang's not in the house." Zuko said, pointing out the obvious. "Let's check the beach."

We all ran down to the beach, only finding Aang's footprints. They led out into the sea, but there was no sign of the air bender. A few explanations were tossed around, but they were all shot down. Katara then suggested everyone split up and look for Aang. Before I could even make a move towards him, Zuko was suddenly glomped by Toph.

"I'm going with Zuko!" She exclaimed excitedly. When everyone stared at her, she shrugged. "What? Everyone else went on a life-changing field trip with Zuko. Now it's _my _turn." She pulled him even closer, causing him to blush.

I tried my best to keep from laughing. _Now_ I knew why she was so frustrated when she had interrupted us on the beach before. She had a crush on Zuko!

The fire bender glanced at me, giving me an apologetic look which soon turned into a hopeful one. Figuring he wanted me to go with them to make it less awkward for him, I shook my head as if to tell him he had to deal with the preteen earth bender on his own. His eye twitched, causing me to laugh quietly.

Sokka announced he would take Appa for a trip around the island to see if he could spot Aang from the sky while Katara and Suki said they'd head into town. I sighed, saying I'd check the caves and such around the cliffs of the island. Everyone headed off their separate ways, leaving me standing alone on the beach. I watched Zuko and Toph disappear into the jungle and smiled before walking the opposite direction down the shore.

I made my way farther down the sand in silence, allowing the water to encircle my ankles as it pulsed back and forth up the beach. Finally making it to the first cave, I took a deep breath before entering it. Igniting a small flame in the palm of my hand, I lit my way as I went deeper and deeper into the darkness.

I clambered across rocks and jumped over crevices, suddenly wishing I had chosen to wear shoes. My liking to being barefoot did not always work out for the best. Slipping on a wet rock, I fell to my knees, the flame I had conjured going out immediately.

"Damn it…" I muttered, standing back up. I could feel the blood trickle down my legs as I brought another miniscule fire to life in my hand.

"_You won't find him here_." A voice called out, echoing off the cavern walls.

I sighed. "I figured that much." Not bothering to look around for the source, I began walking back towards the entrance of the cave. I knew that the voice had not come from an actual human being.

"_So, you've chosen to fire bend again, huh_?"

A low growl erupted from my throat as I continued onward.

"Yes. Now leave me alone."

"_You're not afraid_?"

I began to fall again, but managed to grab onto the side of the cave and keep myself upright.

"No. I'm not."

I could almost hear the presence smile. "_That's my girl_."

* * *

A few hours, and caves, later, I arrived back at the vacation house. All eyes were on Zuko, who seemed deep in thought. When I limped up to the steps and sat myself down in an exhausted manner, their gazes shifted to me.

"Hana!" Zuko breathed, moving to crouch down in from of me. He placed his hands on my knees, but drew them back immediately when he realized I was bleeding. Glancing up at me in worry, he inquired as to what happened.

"I slipped." I said shortly, looking away.

Katara sighed and bended the water out of her pouch. After instructing me to hold still, she began working on the scrapes and cuts on my legs and feet.

"Did you find Aang?" Sokka asked hopefully. He was drenched in water. No… Saliva? I didn't take the time to ask. I debated on replying with a sarcastic comment, but thought better of it and decided not to.

"No. I didn't."

Everyone remained silent as Katara finished working on my wounds.

"There. You might have a couple scars for a while, but they should go away fairly quickly." She told me, bending the water back into her pouch.

I waved my left arm lazily in front of me. "Yeah, not too worried about scars."

She bit her lip apologetically, but said nothing.

"So, what was going on here before I arrived?" I asked, accepting Zuko's hand to help me stand up. He pulled me close against him as he spoke.

"Well, we've realized that Momo is missing, too, and…" He trailed off, sounding a bit unsure of himself.

"We were actually asking Zuko what we should do. Since, you know, he's sort of the expert on tracking Aang." Katara offered. "And… Well, what _are_ we going to do, Zuko?"

He thought for a moment. "I have an idea." He said suddenly. "Everyone get on Appa."

The rest of the group stretched and began loading onto the bison. I made a move to follow suit, but Zuko held me in place against his chest.

"Are you okay, Hana?" He whispered, looking into my eyes.

I nodded, kissing him softly on the lips. "I'm fine, I promise."

He followed up my kiss with a firmer one of his own. When he pulled away, his expression was serious.

"Promise me something." He whispered, brushing a piece of stray hair out of my face.

I eyed him. "What is it?"

"Promise me you won't leave my sight for the next couple days?"

I took a step back. "What?"

"Hana," he began, glancing at the rest of the group who was pretending not to pay attention to us, "we have a rough journey ahead of us. Some of us… some of us may not come back."

"Zuko, stop it."

"No." He said sternly. "Listen to me. I want you by my side at all times. I don't want anything to happen to you. I don't know what I'd do if-" He stopped suddenly, his honey eyes twinkling with unshed tears.

I placed a hand on his scarred cheek, offering up a small smile. "I promise. But you have to make me a promise as well."

He raised and eyebrow, but remained silent, his way of telling me to continue.

"Promise you won't leave me." I paused. "Ever."

Leaning down, he kissed me even more passionately than before. Toph, who was standing on the ground near Appa, grunted in a mix of irritation and surprise.

"Come _on_, you two!" She yelled. "We have to find Twinkle Toes!"

I laughed against Zuko's lips before we parted.

"She has a crush on you, ya know." I whispered in his good ear.

He stiffened. "W-what?"

Giggling, I snatched up his hand and led him towards Appa.

"Why don't you help her up into the saddle?" It was more of a command than a question.

Zuko rolled his eyes, but did as I told him and helped Toph up onto the sky bison. A slight blush crept across her cheeks as he lifted her up. I smiled despite myself as I crawled up the side of the massive creature.

Zuko climbed up onto Appa's head and took hold of the reins.

"Umm… Yip yip?" He said, causing the bison to take off into the sky. I grabbed onto the side of the saddle as we lurched upward.

After about a half hour of silence, Sokka piped up from where he sat in the front of the saddle.

"Zuko, I don't want to tell you how to do your job, but why are we heading towards the Earth Kingdom? There's no way Aang's there."

"Just trust me." He stated, ending all conversation.

* * *

A few hours later, we arrived at the outskirts of some lowlife Earth Kingdom town. Zuko had Appa land in front of some bar. We all dismounted and headed towards the front door. As we entered, Katara glanced around warily.

"And the reason you've brought us to a seedy Earth Kingdom tavern is what now?" She asked.

Zuko lifted his arm and pointed at a young woman sitting alone at a table. "June."

My heart dropped down into my stomach at the sight of the girl. Her hair was dark brown, almost jet black. Parts of it were pulled back in a small bun held in place with a skull clip. She was dressed in a dark reddish-brown tunic with buckles in the front and a high collar, an outfit all too familiar to me. Red snake tattoos were present on her shoulders and her forearms were covered by long gloves matching her clothes in color. Her eyes were dark and emotionless; her lips were blood red. My whole body went cold as I stared at her. _It couldn't be…_

But it was.

Suddenly, a man ran at her. With a swift kick, she pushed him down to the floor and turned her attention back to her drink. But before she could take a sip, another man attacked her. She jumped out of the way just as his fist connected with the table.

"Oh yeah! That weird bounty hunter with the giant mole!" Sokka exclaimed, watching her.

"Mole?" Suki asked as June avoided another blow from the man. "Her skin is flawless!"

I took a step backwards. This _can't_ be happening…

"She has this giant mole creature that she rides around on." Said Sokka. His voice sounded far away as I began to hyperventilate.

June danced around a third attacker, being careful to not spill her drink.

"The shirshu." Zuko explained. "It's the only animal that can track Aang's scent anywhere in the world. It's the one shot we have at finding him."

I took another step backwards, running into Zuko's chest.

"What's wrong, Hana?" He asked, taking hold of my upper arms.

I kept my gaze on June as she flung a man clear across the room. Afterwards, she caught her drink, which she had tossed up into the air, and finally took a swig. I was on the verge of a panic attack.

"I dunno who this June lady is, but I _like _her!" Toph exclaimed.

"Hana, you're shaking." Zuko whispered in my ear, pulling me closer. "Don't worry, she won't hurt you."

_I'm not so sure about that_…

I gulped as he began moving forward, pushing me along. The rest of the group began walking with us as well.

"Hey, wait a second… She helped you attack us!" Sokka exclaimed as June kicked out a chair and sat in it.

"Yup." Zuko said, rolling his eyes. "Back in the good old days."

I tried to dig my heels into the ground to stop from moving forward, but Zuko was too strong for me and didn't even seem to notice. We finally approached her table and I tried to hide my face behind my hair.

"Oh, look it's Prince Pouty." June said in a bored manner without looking up. "Where's your creepy grandpa?"

"He's my uncle." Zuko told her, tightening his grip on my arms. I tilted my head down more and held my breath. "And he's not here."

June smirked as she glanced at Katara. "I see you've worked things out with your girlfriend."

"SHE'S NOT MY GIRLFRIEND!"

"I'M NOT HIS GIRLFRIEND!"

"Besides," Zuko said, trying to be romantic and tilting my head up, "this is my girlfriend."

I tried to pull away from his grasp, but the damage was done. June stood up quickly, causing her chair to fly clear across the tavern and smash into pieces against the far wall.

"Hello June." I whispered, looking up at her sheepishly.

She growled. "Hello, baby sister."

* * *

**So, I know June is supposed to be from the Earth Kingdom, but I still think she looks more Fire Nation than anything. But that's just me, I guess. And I was actually surprised to learn that her name is, in fact, spelled June, not Jun. Huh… Anyway, now you kind of get the picture of how Hana looks since June is her older sister. :]**


	22. Family Reunion

**JLynJoyce: Aww. Thanks. :]**

**Hell Changer: It is and it isn't. Haha.**

**Ivac38: Don't worry about it. :] And thanks. I've been trying to make her interact a bit more, but the way I developed her character, it's sort of hard for her to trust people, so yeah… Haha. And I was playing off of when Toph glomped Zuko at the vacation house. And there definitely will be more lemons. :] Probably not extreme **_**all the way**_** moments, but still.**

**Densharr: Thank you. :] I agree. She has to have at least **_**some**_** Fire Nation in her.**

* * *

"June is your _sister_?" Katara yelled, causing a silence to fall over the tavern.

"Unfortunately." June spat. She glared down at me, her eyes flashing in anger. If looks could kill…

"Look, June…" I started, not quite sure of what to say. I mean, what do you say to a sibling you haven't seen in nearly three years, when the last time you _did_ see her was right after you killed your parents? "You know I didn't mean to-"

I was cut off by a vicious slap to the face. Turning my head slowly back to face June, I could feel my eye twitch.

"No need to get physical, sister dear." I taunted.

She pulled her arm back for a punch, but a masculine hand caught her fist before it could connect with my face.

"Enough." Zuko growled from behind me.

"This is none of your business, Princess." Said June, pulling out of his grasp.

I turned to face him, careful to keep June in my peripherals.

"Zuko, this is between me and my sister." I told him softly.

"But Hana, I don't want her to hurt you." He whispered, cupping my cheek.

I forced a smile and gently pulling his hand away. "Don't worry about it. But whatever happens, let it be. This is something that I've been running from for too long."

"Just shut up and fight!" June yelled from behind me.

Zuko gazed down at me in worry, but I ignored him and turned to face her.

"Bring it, bitch!" I spat, taking a ready stance.

She kicked out at me and hit me in the stomach, sending me flying across the room. My head slammed into the far wall and I slid down to the floor. I stood up and watched June run towards me. She swung her right fist at me, but I dodged it nimbly. She then lashed out at me with her nails, growling in anger as she did so. I blocked each slash with ease.

Just as I had predicted, she was blinded by rage, and it was affecting her fighting skill.

A swipe landed home and three long scratches appeared on my right forearm, immediately beginning to bleed. I ignored the sting and continued blocking her blows. Finally, she took a step back, panting in anger.

"Fight back, damn it!" She screamed.

"I won't fight you, June." I told her sternly.

"Why not? Are you _scared_?"

"No."

"Well you should be!" She yelled, racing forward and producing a dagger from her tunic.

She slashed the air in front of me, causing me to jump back. She swung it again, just nearly missing me. This time as I stepped back, however, I tripped over an empty chair and fell to the ground. June was immediately over me, raising the dagger high above my heart. With a swift kick on my part, the weapon went spinning through the air. It nearly missed Sokka's head and stuck to the wood of the front door.

June's lip curled up into a snarl as her hands wrapped around my throat.

"You killed them!" She screamed.

"You know I didn't mean to!" I choked out, clawing at her grasp.

Her grip tightened. "You got _everything_ you wanted! You didn't deserve any of it! _I_ was the eldest. _I_ should have been father's favorite!"

"You're right." I wheezed. Her hands loosened ever so slightly, but it was just enough to tear her fingers away from my neck.

I pushed her off of me using both my feet. She fell back, but was immediately standing back up. I, however, was doubled over on the floor, still trying to catch my breath. As I began to stand, June punched me square in the jaw, sending me backwards against a man standing on the sidelines. He pushed me back towards her and she raked her sharp nails across my right cheek.

"Why won't you fight?" She yelled as I held my hand over my fresh wounds.

"Because, June. You're my sister, and no matter what you do, I'll still love you. I can't hurt you."

She stopped and stared at me like I was mad. …Or was she surprised? Either way, it gave me time to regain my composure. I stood up to my full height and gazed at her softly.

"June, I know I've made some terrible mistakes in the past, but we're the only family we have left." I told her. "We can't just throw that away."

"Shut up." She muttered, her gaze turning cold once more. "You're are _not_ my sister!"

"Try to understand!" I yelled, dodging another one of her punches. "If you kill me, what have you got left? What do you have to live for when I'm gone?"

She paused, then spun and kicked me in the ribs. I landed a few feet away and held onto my side as I stood up slowly.

"I won't hurt you!"

"Don't talk to me!" She spat, unfurling a whip from her belt.

"I love you, June! No matter what, I'll always-"

I couldn't stop myself from screaming as the sharp tip tore through my tunic and cut open my hip. She flicked her wrist and another gash opened up across my abdomen. I fell to the ground and immediately felt the familiar sting against my lower back. My sister was now towering over me, whip in hand.

"June, please…" I whispered. "If you're going to kill me, just do it. Don't make me suffer."

"Oh, so it's okay for our mother to suffer, but not you?" She spat, bringing the whip down on my back again. "Not likely!"

As I cried out in pain, I caught sight of Zuko starting to move towards me. I held up a shaky hand.

"Zuko, no." I said hoarsely. He immediately stopped. I could see his eyes beginning to water and could feel myself beginning to cry as well.

I began second-guessing my choice as June's whip connected with my shoulder blade. Did I really want to die? Could I leave Zuko behind? I didn't want to, but I couldn't hurt June. If I fought back, it would only fuel her anger more. I couldn't just let this conflict outlive me. It had to end, one way or another.

"Had enough yet?" June asked.

"No," I whispered, shaking my head. "I deserve this. It's just like you said." I looked up at her. "Why should our mother suffer and not me? But think about this, June. If you kill me, your only sister, are you really any better than me?"

This caught her completely off guard. She stared at me for a long time; the room remained completely silent. Suddenly, the whip dropped from her hand and she fell to her knees. Her body became wracked with sobs as she held her sides. I immediately moved over and enveloped her in a hug.

"I'm just so lost…" She whispered into my hair. "It's just… I saw you and- and, you look so much like Father, and remembering what he did… and what you did… all the rage I ever… it all just…" Not able to complete her sentences, she took to crying softly on my shoulder.

"I get it, June." I whispered honestly. "I really do. I messed up, and I'm sorry. I really am. But do you think you're the only one of us that has suffered?"

She pulled back just enough to look into my eyes. I pushed the strands of hair that had fallen in front of her face back behind her ear and smiled through my tears.

"I'm sorry, Hana." She said, sniffling. "It never even crossed my mind. I always just thought since you were the golden child, you would be fine. I never even thought about how hard it would be for a young girl your age to go out on her own, scared and completely alone."

"I don't blame you." I told her. "I would have been equally as angry if the roles were switched."

She gave a small nod, wiping away a lone tear.

"I didn't do it on purpose." I whispered.

"I know."

There was a short pause before I spoke again. "Hey. Do you want to know the real reason I fled?"

June looked up at me curiously.

"It wasn't because of my mistake. I was afraid you'd kick my ass to kingdom come. And, well, you ended up doing it anyway."

She laughed quietly, causing my smile to grow. We stood up slowly and brushed ourselves off, regaining our composure. Everyone in the bar was staring at us.

"What the hell are you staring at?" June barked, her voice just barely shaking.

Everyone suddenly busied themselves with something else, genuinely afraid of the young woman. She turned back to me.

"Sorry about all this." She drug her hand gently across my cheek and wiped the blood off on her tunic.

"Eh, I've had worse." I said, holding up my left arm.

"Oh Agni, I remember that day! You went without eyebrows for _weeks_!" She said, laughing.

I mock-glared at her. "Yeah, well, I specifically remember the first day you got your pet shirshu. You taunted it so much that it lashed out and paralyzed half of your face!"

Her laughing stopped and she crossed her arms. "Yeah, well- Okay, I'll admit that was pretty funny."

We both started laughing.

"I remember," I began, placing a hand on her shoulder, "you came into the house crying, yelling at Mom that your shirshu had struck you, but all it sounded like 'mawmaw, muh seersue attacked meh, 'nd ah cen't feel muh wips!'"

This caused us both to double over in laughter for quite some time before we were able to regain our composure.

"I've missed you." I told her suddenly.

She smiled. "I've missed you, too, you annoying little twit."

"Well this is all fine and dandy and everything," Sokka piped up suddenly, "but we came here for a reason, you know."

I blushed. "Oh, right. Sorry. Uh, June? We need your help finding someone."

She nodded. "Sure. Who're you looking for?"

I smiled. "The avatar."

* * *

"**Bring it, bitch!" Okay, I know that line didn't really make sense since Hana was trying not to aggravate June, but I couldn't resist. :] It's just so… **_**Hana**_**. Haha!**


	23. The Great Wall

**JLynJoyce: Yeah. At first, I was going to have Hana actually fight June, but at the last minute I changed my mind. Glad you liked it. :]**

**chelle18: Definitely. :D Haha!**

**I didn't feel like rewriting the first part of this episode, so I sort of fast-tracked through it. x]**

* * *

June took us outside and walked over to her shirshu. After feeding it raw steak, cooing to it lovingly, and avoiding it's lashing tongue, she asked for something with Aang's scent on it. Katara produced his staff from Appa's saddle and June held it out for Nyla to smell. After a few moments of sniffing the air, the giant creature covered its nose with its paws in defeat. June announced that this meant the avatar was gone. Not dead, he just didn't exist. Amidst all the confusion, Zuko pulled out an old smelly sandal from his bag.

"You saved your uncle's sweaty sandal?" Sokka asked, pinching his nose to avoid the smell.

"I think it's kind of sweet." Toph said softly; I tried to hide my smile.

Suddenly, Nyla lunged forward and sniffed the sandal.

"Let's do this." June stated before the shirshu took off in the opposite direction.

"HEY!" Zuko yelled. "WAIT UP!"

Everyone clambered quickly onto Appa and took off after my sister. As we flew through the air, Zuko held me close. He had asked Katara to wet a piece of cloth with her water and began dabbing at my cuts, washing away the blood. I sat in silence with my eyes closed, focusing on his gentle touch and distinct scent. I soon fell asleep in his warm embrace, ignoring the increasing pain in my side.

* * *

I woke up the next morning, immediately aware that we were _still_ in the air. Glancing down over the side of the saddle, I saw June and Nyla a bit ahead of us on the ground.

Everyone sat in silence the whole day. No one really knew what to say, to be honest. I could tell they were shocked to find out that June was my sister, but were too anxious and worried about Aang to let their concern for me get the better of them.

Finally, an hour or so after the sun sunk below the horizon, we arrived at the great outer wall of Ba Sing Se. Well, the _once_ great wall. I stared up in horror at the large gap and the rubble that lay beneath it. This was once a happy, temporary home for me. I had felt completely safe. And now that it was taken over by the Fire Nation, my heart sunk. I thought of the woman who had taken me in as her own when I had lived here and my skin grew cold. My heart began to beat wildly at the thought of the Fire Nation discovering her. Hopefully, she was safe.

"We're going to Ba Sing Se?" Zuko asked incredulously as we landed.

"You're uncle's somewhere beyond the wall." June stated, pulling Nyla away from where she was digging furiously at the rubble. "Nyla's getting twitchy so he can't be too far."

I jumped off of Appa just as June dismounted her shirshu. I walked over and wrapped my arms around my sister in an affectionate hug.

"Thank you, June." I whispered as she hugged me back.

"Anytime, Hana."

"Are you sure you don't want to stay and help?"

She pulled away and looked at me, keeping her hands on my shoulders.

"Nah. My place isn't here. But I wish you well."

I smiled. "Goodbye, June."

She clambered back onto Nyla and smirked down at me. "I expect a visit as soon as you finished kicking ass, okay twit?"

I laughed. "You got it."

She turned to everyone and wished them luck before Nyla ran off into the night. I watched her until the shirshu's bushy tail disappeared over a hill.

"It's been a long day." Zuko exclaimed. "Let's camp and start our search again at dawn."

Everyone nodded and began unpacking supplies. Zuko, however, immediately made his way over to me and wrapped his strong arms around my waist from behind. I tore my gaze from where I had last seen June to look up at him. He seemed worried, sad, and anxious.

"You okay?" We both asked at the same time. We forced some small laughs before he turned me in his arms to face him.

"I thought I was going to lose you back there." He whispered.

Smiling softly, I replied teasingly, "You can't get rid of me that easily."

His lips twitched up into a small smile before he pulled me into a tight hug. I gasped in pain as his arm put pressure on my side. Zuko immediately let go and looked down at me in worry.

"Hana, what's wrong?" He asked as I doubled over in pain.

I gasped for breath as I fell to my knees. Zuko dropped down with me, screaming for Katara. My sight became blurry as my eyes welled up with tears.

"Just lay back, Hana." She instructed. I did so and felt her healing hands on my side.

"What's wrong with her?" Suki asked anxiously from where she stood over me.

"She's finally coming down off of her adrenaline high." Katara explained calmly. I could feel the healing energy probe at my body. When it passed over a certain spot, I sucked in air through my teeth as the pain increased. "She has a cracked rib, and another badly bruised one. It must have been from when June kicked her." She paused and I felt a hand run over my forehead soothingly. "Hana, this is going to hurt. A lot. Do you want something to bite down on?"

"No…" I murmured. "I-I'm okay." I reached for Zuko's hand and he immediately responded, clasping my hand in his. "Do what you have to do."

* * *

Zuko's POV

I grimaced as Katara began healing Hana's ribs. She cried out in pain and squeezed my hand as hard as she could, but did not move. Tears flowed freely down her cheeks as the young water bender continued on with her work. Suddenly, a faint crack could be heard and Hana's hand went limp. Her expression slowly relaxed and her head lolled over to the side.

"Hana?" I asked worriedly, placing a hand on her cheek. She didn't respond. "HANA!"


	24. The Order Of The White Lotus

_**Gomennasai**_**, my readers and reviewers. I haven't updated in a while. The end of the school year is coming up and I've been studying my ass off for exams. Life takes over every now and then, you know? And I **_**do**_** have a life, opposed to what you may think.**

**Anyway, here's chapter 24. Enjoy…**

* * *

"WHAT HAPPENED? WHAT DID YOU DO?" I screamed.

Katara placed a gentle hand on my shoulder.

"Don't worry, Zuko. She's not dead. She just passed out from the pain." She removed her hand and ran it over Hana's forehead, wiping the sweat from her brow. "It's probably just as well. She won't be in so much agony now. Plus it gives me a chance to heal her other wounds."

I relaxed a bit, but kept a hold of Hana's hand as Katara easily healed her cuts and scratches. Once she was finished, I picked Hana up gently in my arms and carried her over to where Sokka had been setting up sleeping bags.

"I-I put yours and Hana's next to each other…" He stammered bashfully. "I thought-"

"Thanks, Sokka." I interrupted, placing Hana down gently in her unzipped sleeping bag. I pulled the top cover over her before settling down into mine. As everyone else got comfortable and began falling asleep, I lay on my side with my head resting on my arm. My free hand ran gently through Hana's hair over and over, watching her sleep soundly.

Finally, when I could barely keep my eyes open, I rolled over onto my back and fell asleep.

* * *

Later that night, I awoke and immediately rolled over to look at Hana's sleeping bag. It was empty.

"Hana?" I mumbled worriedly, sitting up.

"Yeah?"

I turned to look over my shoulder towards the sound of her voice. She was sitting in front of Appa, running a hand soothingly across his nose. I quietly stood up and made my way over to her.

"What are you doing?"

She placed a finger against her lips.

"Appa's restless." She whispered. "I think he misses Aang."

I glanced at the giant bison.

"Well, they are pretty much inseparable. Spiritually linked, you know." I said lamely.

She nodded as the bison moaned longingly. I watched her stroke his fur gently and smiled. I had to fall in love with the craziest girl who could never fail to surprise me. My smile faltered as this thought ran through my head. _I loved her_? Did I? Licking my lips, I gazed at Hana. Of course I did. There was no doubt in my mind that I was helplessly in love with her.

"Hana?" I asked. She turned to look at me. "I-"

Before I could finish, a huge ring of fire surrounded our camp, causing everyone to jolt awake. We turned towards the rubble pile and caught sight of four older men in blue and white robes.

"Well, look who's here!" One of them said in a scratchy voice. He laughed, snorting repeatedly.

I reached over and pulled Hana closer to me. She struggled stubbornly against my grasp, but after giving her a stern look, she fell still and turned her gaze back up to the men.

Soon, Sokka and Katara's faces turned from worried to excited.

"What's going on?" Toph asked as the men began making their way down to us. "We're surrounded by old people!"

One of them reached out and extinguished the flames. They all smirked, stopping a ways in front of us.

"Not just any old people," Katara said, taking a step forward. "These are great masters and friends of ours!" She bowed to one in particular. "Pakku."

"It is respectful to bow to an old master." Pakku said. "But how about a hug for your new grandfather?"

The water tribe siblings immediately enveloped the man in a hug. Hana glanced up at me in confusion; I shrugged.

Katara turned to me, gesturing to the next man in line. "And this was Aang's first fire bending teacher."

"Jeong Jeong." The man told me as we bowed to each other.

Sokka bowed to another man, calling him master. They exchanged greetings and turned back to the rest of us.

"So… wait. How do you all know each other?" Suki asked.

"All old people know each other. Don't you know that?" The last man said. He had yet to be introduced, but judging by his disposition I guessed him to be an earth bender.

"We're all part of the same ancient secret society. A group that transcends the division of the four nations." Sokka's master said.

"The Order of the White Lotus." I said with a smile.

"That's the one!" The earth bender said.

"The White Lotus has always been about philosophy and beauty and truth." Jeong Jeong said. "But about a month ago, a call went out that we were needed for something important."

Pakku turned to me. "It came from a Grand Lotus. Your uncle. Iroh, of the Fire Nation."

The corners of my mouth turned up in a smile. Hana squeezed my hand and grinned up at me.

"Well that's who we're looking for!" Toph piped up.

"Then we'll take you to him!" said Sokka's master.

Suddenly, the earth bender pushed through the other men. "Wait… Someone's missing from your group. Someone _very_ important." He leaned forward into Sokka's face. "Where's Momo?"

"You've _got_ to be kidding me…" Hana muttered from beside me.

"He's gone." Sokka told him. "And so is Aang."

"Oh well." The old man said, standing back. "As long as they have each other, I'm sure we have nothing to worry about. Let's go!" As he said this, he punched the ground and a column of rock shot him up into the air and over the wall.

"That guy's _mad_." I whispered as the rest of us began climbing over the fallen rocks and debris.

"A mad genius…" Muttered Katara.

I ignored her confusing comment and helped Hana up the rubble. After walking in silence for a while, Sokka spoke to the earth bender.

"So, Bumi, how did you end up escaping your imprisonment in Omashu?"

I hung back a bit as the older man told his story. Hana remained by my side.

"You feeling better?" I whispered as to not disturb Bumi's story.

She nodded. "Much better, thanks to Katara."

My hand twitched before I reached over and slowly took her hand in mine.

"I'm pretty sure you've taken off quite a few years of my life with all your antics." I joked.

She giggled. "Sorry, Zuko. I didn't mean to scare you back at the tavern, and I _obviously_ didn't mean to pass out during the healing session."

I let go of her hand and placed my arm around her shoulder possessively, bringing her body against mine.

"I'll forgive you only if you promise not to get into any more trouble."

Smirking, she looked up at me, her eyes twinkling in the moonlight. "You know I don't make promises I can't keep."

* * *

**Don't mean to sound like a bitch, but don't expect the next chapter for a while. Like I said, exams. Plus I don't even have the next chapter written yet. So just be patient, please.**


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